Oblivion
by coldnbroken
Summary: Bella had been in darkness for months before she was brought to the light. She was Victoria's perfect little pet. Bella was sent to Forks and was surprised to find that the Cullens knew her. But Victoria wants her to kill them. Would Bella do it?
1. Hearing voices

**A/N: Hi everyone! This is the first Twilight fanfic I wrote so please let me know if its worth putting up. I would greatly appreciate reviews! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.  
**

**Prologue**

_Revenge is such a beautiful word. It comes in many different ways and I will find the perfect way to do it. I will not let the death of James go to oblivion. I will avenge him if it's the last thing I do. It's not fair that he was gone just because of one little puny human. One fragile human protected by a large coven of vampires. But the human pet was now alone. She isn't as helpless as I want her to be but it doesn't matter. I will get my revenge one way or another. Mate for a mate._

_**Chapter 1: Hearing voices**_

I watched the purple haze as it slowly made its way up to the sky. Daylight was ending and night time was about to begin. The sun was almost done setting and it left the sky with shades of purple, red and orange. The smoke was a perfect match to the twilight sky as I watched it slowly disappear into the air. The September wind blew silently and I closed my eyes briefly as I felt the breeze touch my skin. It gave me this satisfied feeling of another hunt gone well.

I sighed. I never truly understood the reason behind the hunts but it gave me purpose. One thing I didn't have in this life. Nothing in this life was worth living for so I just follow orders. I was just a pet to them. Nothing more. Just someone who would obediently follow their orders. Since I have nothing else to do, I go with it. After all, forever doing nothing would make no sense at all. At least, I'm moving and I'm living. I was good at putting up a show anyway. I enjoy them.

A snapping sound broke me away from my thoughts. I turned around to see Riley leaning against a tree. He was watching me with wary eyes.

"Job done?" he asked.

I nodded and gestured toward my small bonfire.

"How many?"

"Three"

"In one go?" He raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged.

His serious face turned into a huge grin.

"I knew it! You really are the strongest vampire I know!" He exclaimed with much enthusiasm.

I laughed at his expression.

"Sure… Considering how many vampires you actually know…"

We both laughed at that.

"Are there any more that she wants me to take out?" I asked as our laughter died out.

Riley thought for a few seconds before answering.

"I'm gonna say yes but right now, I think you deserve a little break"

Relief flooded over me. I was getting tired of these meaningless hunts. Riley said I was doing these "nonsense" hunts so I could get stronger. After all, newborns are very strong. The younger they are, the stronger they will be. It was for "the greater good." I'm not really sure what he meant by that but I know there's a bigger plan there somewhere and I was just a tool in it. Destroying three newborns in one go is such a work out. Whatever I fed on the previous night was drained out of me. I need to hunt.

"Good. Coz I need a _real_ hunt. All that hunting made me thirsty. Let's go do a real hunt, please" I pleaded.

***

My lips touched my victim's neck and I let my tongue roam his skin. I heard the guy moan silently as I started to suck on his flesh. My throat burned and I sighed in pleasure. His hands were roaming my body and I was getting tired of it. I felt his pulse grow stronger and found the perfect place to sink my teeth into. I licked my lips and put on an evil grin.

"You're mine" I whispered into his ear.

Without warning, I sunk my teeth into his skin and felt the blood rush into my mouth. My victim screamed and writhed in pain. He tried squirming out of my grip but he was no match for me. I covered his mouth with my left hand and I hardened my grip on him.

"Now, now… We don't want to attract attention, do we? Be still so I could finish you off quickly."

The guy's eyes grew big at what I said. I sunk my teeth into his skin again and let the blood fill me. He continued to squirm but he was getting weaker and weaker by the second. I took my hand off his mouth as soon as I knew that there wasn't enough strength left in him to even talk. I continued to suck him dry when I heard it.

_I'm no good for you, Bella._

I stopped drinking and glared at my meal. The hole in my chest opened up and started to suck out everything I am. I shook it off and concentrated on what I was doing. A sob tried to escape my chest but I stopped it. I grabbed the guy's collar and smashed him against the wall.

"What did you say to me?!!" I demanded off of him.

The guy silently groaned in pain as soon as he made contact with the wall. His head dropped and was helpless from my grip. I was still holding him up against the wall as I continued to glare at him.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" I demanded again. I was about to smash him on the wall again but a hand stopped me.

"What is going on here, Bella?" Riley asked me as he eyed me holding my meal up against the wall.

Anger coursed through my body as my grip on the human got tighter. Where in the world did he get any idea that he was no good for me? He was just some fragile human. One helpless fragile human!

"This human said he's no good for me" I accused.

Riley raised an eyebrow at me.

"I was just a few feet away from you, Bella. This guy said nothing. All I heard was you talking, him groaning in pain and smash on the wall"

"But I heard him loud and clear" I reasoned out. I know what I heard. The voice was so clear. I heard him loud and clear. Riley interrupted my thoughts for the second time that day.

"He said nothing. Finish your meal and let's head back" His voice held this certain authority that I obliged immediately.

He let me finish the guy off and we left. Different thoughts flooded my mind. I was certain I heard someone's voice. It was so clear that it totally caught me off guard. Like its owner was standing right in front of me. I remember the words clearly.

'I'm no good for you, Bella.'

**Chapter End Notes: **

**Well, that's the first chapter up. Please let me know what you think! Thank you!:)  
**


	2. He was the light that gave me life

**A/N: Here's chapter 2 to all those reading. Its a short one but anyways I'm hoping to get some reviews so that I know if this is good or bad. Just let me know what you think. You don't have to give a long review. A short one would do. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

**_Chapter 2: He was the light that gave me life_  
**

My thoughts kept coming back to the voice I heard while I was feeding. I could've sworn I heard somebody say those words. Riley insisted he didn't hear anyone talking but me. I kept asking him and he probably got pissed off at me since he has been avoiding me for days. So I spent my time alone thinking over what happened. After some thought, I had to agree with Riley. It couldn't have been the guy who I was feeding on. When I was luring him into the dark alley, his voice was rough and raspy. The voice I heard was soft and velvety. It was musical, almost like a vampire's. But that couldn't be possible. If there was another vampire in the area, I would've known. And if there was somebody there, it wouldn't have made sense at all. What the voice said didn't make any sense either. How was it that he was no good for me? And how did he know name? Is it possible that my mind is making things up now? Is it possible for vampires to go insane? Is it?

So many questions unanswered, it was making my head hurt. I put my head on my hands and tried to make the pain go away. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear anyone approach.

"Bella… Bella!" Someone literally shook me.

I looked up to see two crimson eyes look down at me.

"Victoria. Is anything wrong?"

She raised an eyebrow at me.

"I should be asking you that question. I've been calling you for the past five minutes." She said irritated.

"Oh sorry… I just got … distracted"

She continued to look down at me. Sometimes, I swear there was something more behind the looks that she gives me. Like there's anger or something that she isn't telling me. I asked Riley about it before but he told me to just brush it off. That it was nothing. She was just like that. So, I just shrug it off every time she gives me those looks.

She dropped her gaze at me and looked past me.

"Meet us by the river up north. I got another job for you."

With that, she turned around and left. I sighed. I knew there was going to be another one. Those jobs never ended. I grabbed my stuff and cleared off any trace I might've left. After doing a final check, I looked ahead and broke into a run.

The feeling of the wind on my face sent calming waves throughout my body. Running was my therapy. It was the only remedy I have for the gaping hole in my chest. There was this unknown emptiness that sucks everything that was me. Every time the hole opens up, the pain I feel was just too much. Everything else in my body goes numb and the pain takes over. On some occasion, it got so bad that my body would collapse to the ground and start shaking. It scared the hell out of Riley and Victoria even seems concerned at one point. It felt like I was falling apart for some reason. Victoria claimed that something or someone, probably from my past, caused me so much pain that I never got over it. She also claimed I must've been hurting before I was changed and when I was changed, the pain didn't go away. That was her claim. It made sense at some point but I still wanted to know the reason behind it.

I don't remember anything in my human life. It was a dark, empty space and no one could help me with it. After my change, I woke up in darkness. I didn't move from where I woke up. Nothing made sense back then. I could hear everything clearly for miles but I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black and it scared the hell out of me so I stayed. That was when I started to count. I was getting weak as the time passed by. I was about to reach 7,775,869 when I heard a different sound. It sounded like footsteps but I still didn't see anything so I continued to count. And then I saw it. A tiny dot of light getting bigger and bigger. I stopped counting then and I never counted again. A hand reached out to me and I held on to it. I didn't let go. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I didn't want to go back in the dark. I'll go wherever he would go.

Riley had been my light ever since then. I found out later that it was Victoria who had initially found me but she ordered him to get me out of the cave. And because of that, I owed my life to them. They told me what I was and taught me how to hunt. They made me stronger. I was strong enough to kill newborns even right after their change. I became their pet. Like I said, it gave me purpose. I had one thing to do in this never ending life.

I started to slow down as soon as I heard water flowing from the river. I immediately saw where Victoria and Riley were standing. They were talking in low voices but stopped as soon as they were aware of my presence. Riley shot me a grin before looking back at Victoria.

"I hope you left your distractions behind" Victoria said.

I nodded looking down.

"Good. We'll be moving up north from here. There are a few newborns I want you to get rid of but you have to be careful. It's in a city, so that would mean humans. I know you could control your thirst but my advice is to hunt before going. I'll give you more information when we get there."

I simply nodded. I've been in cities before so I know what to expect.

"Oh, another thing… There's a large coven of vampires near that area. You have to make sure they don't track you"

I frowned.

"How would I know they're not the ones that I'm supposed to get rid of" I asked confused.

"You would know they're different"

"How?"

"First off, they're not as blood thirsty as you would think them to be. Second, they interact with humans. And lastly, their eyes are gold, not crimson red.

I was confused with the last thing she said but nodded anyway. Vampires with gold eyes? That's a first.

"Good. Now let's go. It would take us a day to get there" Victoria said and started to lead the way. Riley followed and I was right behind him.

Maybe I'll get the chance to observe them from far away. If I could get away with it, that is.

**Chapter End Notes:  
**

**Well, what do you think? Our dear Bella will be encountering a Cullen soon. Who could it be?? Please review! Thanks!  
**


	3. The strongest vampire I know

**A/N: Okay guys, here's chapter 3! It took me awhile to come up with the beginning for this chapter but I finally had something so I hope you guys like it. I'd like to say thank you to those who reviewed. Please review this one coz I know there's something off about it. It might be too much of something. So, let me know. Please? Thank you!!**

**This chapter is dedicated to all those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 3: The strongest vampire I know**_

I sighed as I watched silently from my position. I was perched on top of a tree waiting for the newborns to come out. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set. I've got about an hour before they start their killing spree. I'll let them have some fun first then I'll have my own fun. I smirked at that thought. Ha, that was an order this time.

_I waited to see if she was going to say that she was kidding but she was serious._

_"Five newborns?" I asked just to make sure I heard her correctly. Of course, a vampire's hearing was perfect but five newborns at the same time and in the same location? I didn't expect that. In fact, it totally caught me off guard. Even Riley was a bit hesitant at that._

_"Isn't that a bit too much Victoria?" he asked uneasily._

_I watched the two of them share a silent conversation. Riley's face was pained and Victoria was giving him a you-should-know-look. Riley looked away then nodded. I looked down so that Victoria wouldn't catch me watch the two of them exchange looks._

_"I'm sure our dear Bella here could take all of them at the same time, couldn't you dear?" her tone was sickly. There was something more behind these hunts, of course. Maybe she wants to get rid of me. She's doing it in a subtle way of course. But it didn't matter coz I owe them my life. I owe them my life I reminded myself._

_"Of course, Victoria. They'll be easy to get rid of" I said as a matter of fact. I wasn't sure of what was going to happen to me but I had to put an act that I'm not afraid of anything. That I will do whatever she asks of me because I don't want them to leave me in the dark._

_"See, Riley? She can handle it. She is the strongest vampire I know" Victoria said with the same tone._

_Riley smirked at that comment. I gave him a small smile remembering our little conversation a few days ago. Victoria raised an eyebrow at our little exchange but didn't say anything. _

_"And to add some fun to it, let them feed first. I'm sure you'd be able to handle that" she huffed._

_"Yeah… I'll have some fun with them" I said putting my act back on again. I can't let them see through me. I can't._

I sighed again. I seriously think she's looking for the best way to kill me. If five newborns aren't enough to tear me from limb to limb, feeding them before provoking them would most likely be the end of me. I almost lost an arm the last time I killed three newly fed newborns. Who knows what could happen with five? I just hope they don't go out all together. I shuddered at the thought. I wonder what she's gonna order next when I live through this.

I heard a shuffle beneath me and I immediately put on a defensive crouch. I looked down to see a squirrel scurrying down the tree. I sighed as I sat down on one of the bigger branch of the tree. I played with the hem of my dress as I waited. The knee length dress was ripped at the bottom and my feet were bare and dirty. I stared at the setting sun as my mind drifted back to the warning that Victoria gave me.

_"Wolves? As in werewolves?" I asked. I've never seen one before and I've no idea of what they're capable of._

_"Yes, that kind of wolves. They tore apart someone I know very well so don't underestimate them" Victoria said in a warning. Great more things out there to kill me._

_"Okay. What else do I have to be aware of?"_

_"Remember the coven I told you about? Make sure they don't track you down"_

_"Okay" I said silently. I wanted to ask why but that was a question that would have her in a fit upon asking the question but she probably sensed it because she gave me an answer._

_"I have a job for you regarding them later so I don't want any of them sensing you. Got it?"_

_"Yes, Victoria" I said. I wonder what part they play in her plan._

A muffled scream shook me out of my thoughts and I smelt blood in the air. My throat burned as I got down from the tree so I followed the scent. It led me to a badly lit alley a few miles away from the bustle of the city of Seattle. I continued to follow it and found two newborns on a corner feeding. I let a smirk escape my lips making them aware of my presence. They were both in defensive crouches right away and one of them growled. I stood there with the smirk still on my face.

"Go away! This is our meal! Get your own!" he growled at me again.

I shook my head as I started to walk towards them. I put my hands on my hips and shook my head again.

"Silly newborn. I don't want your meal"

The girl took a step back then shot me death glare. I smirked.

"What do you want from us then?" she hissed.

I raised an eyebrow at the two of them then crossed my arms across my chest. I pointed at the two of them.

"I want your heads"

***

I sighed as I watched the fire I created, after tearing apart the newborns into shreds.

"Two down, three to go" I told myself. Oh joy. Finding them was easy. Fighting them on the other hand, while another was pulling at your arm or leg, was another story.

I turned around and walked away from my little bonfire. The night was young and I still had three vampires to hunt down. I left the alley where I found my first two victims and wandered into the dark street. The street lights were burnt out on this area so there were no humans around. I could sense the different scents in the air but none of them was what I was looking for. I continued to walk up the streets where one of the street lights was blinking every other minute. I caught a scent that belonged to a vampire that headed towards the humans so I followed it.

The night breeze blew westward and the smell of blood hit me again. My mouth started to water as the scent continued to taunt me. I followed the scent and it led me to another alley which was just a few blocks away from where the humans were going about their nightly activities. This was going to be a challenge. If they were near humans, it's going to be hard not to attract any attention. Hmmm…. I climbed one of the abandoned buildings and peered down from the roof top. As I looked down, I saw the three newborns I was looking for. They were luring three different humans into one of the darker alleys.

There were two girls, probably early 20's and a guy around mid 20's. How ironic. And of course, their meals were the opposite sex. Good. Go farther down the alley. Far from the humans. Make my job easier. I continued to watch them and they did go further down the alley. A small smile escaped my lips. This won't be as hard as I thought.

I let them feed first like Victoria said. I heard muffled screams from their victims and it slowly died out. When they were done feeding and was growling at each other, I decided to make them aware of my presence. I jumped from the rooftop of the four story building and landed a few feet in front of them. They quickly turned around and growled at me. The male, I'm assuming to be the leader, was in a defensive crouch in front of the two girls.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Another smile escaped my lips.

"I don't think it really matters who I am" I said as I started to circle around them.

"Oh yeah? Then what does?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Well, I think it matters who I'm going to get rid of first… Should I start with you?" I pointed at him. "Or the girl?" And pointed to the one directly behind him.

He snarled at me the moment I pointed at the shorter girl. He lunged for me and I felt my back hit the brick wall of a building. A sly grin made its way into my face.

"She's your mate then" I said as a matter of fact. I looked him straight in the eye and he moved forward again to attack me. I was quicker this time and I was at his back in a fraction of a second.

"I guess you're going first then" I whispered in his ear. He didn't have enough time to react as I yanked his head off his body. I threw the head onto the farther side of the alley when I felt some kind of force pushing me out of the way. I looked at the taller girl noting that she didn't even move an inch. The guy's mate ran towards the head I threw out to retrieve it and probably put it back. I sighed. Great. The girl has some sort of talent. Get rid of her first then.

"Okay, that wasn't necessary at all. You really shouldn't have done that" I shook my head then I lunged for her. She was fast and I felt her trying to push me again with the same force. I was quicker than her and I moved rapidly from one side to another making her confused. As she tried to follow my movements, she continued to use her gift on me but I had my shield up so I felt just small pinches of it. When she was at the angle I wanted her to be, I attacked from above and sat on her shoulder. She tried shrugging me off but she wasn't lucky. I tugged at her head then wrenched the right arm off. Her body fell on the ground and it started to writhe. I lit a match and threw it towards the head I just ripped off. As the fire grew bigger, I threw in the arm and then the rest of the body which I shredded of in just seconds.

As I threw the last body part, I felt someone grab me and throw me against the wall. The wall collapsed behind me as dust blew all over the place.

"What the —" I looked up to see the guy with his head back on. He still had the furious look on his face.

"Well, it's nice to see you back in one piece again" I said as I stood up and dusted off my dress.

He growled and was about to pounce at me again. I shook my head at him as I moved. He didn't learn from his mistake. He knew I was quicker than him. So, I moved again and was about to lunge for his head when I felt someone grab me from behind. The girl pinned me to the ground and snarled at me. The guy smirked.

"You can never pull the same move twice, you know" he said and kicked me on the side. I groaned. I have to admit I didn't expect that one but I have a lot of tricks under my sleeve. I looked up to see him glaring at me. I looked down at my dress and saw a huge rip on the side. I groaned with irritation this time.

"You're gonna pay for that" I snarled and kicked the girl on her stomach. I stood up in a swift second.

I pounced on the guy and at the same time I pulled both of his arms off. The guy screamed in pain as his body fell to the ground. The girl grabbed me from behind and tried to yank my arm off. I turned around to face her but was stunned at what I saw. Behind the girl was another vampire. His gold colored eyes looked at me in shock.

"I'll take care of this one. Take care of the other one" he said after a second had passed.

I turned around and finished tearing the guy apart. I threw his limbs onto the fire and I watched the big burly vampire throw the remains of the girl. When he threw the last body part, he turned around to face me and I was in his arms in a flash.

"Bella" he said. Shock was still evident in his voice.

_Make sure they don't track you down._ Victoria's words filled my head. I stiffened as I remembered what she said. I pushed him away with a force and looked him in the eye.

"Bella… It's me… Emmett" he said confused. I was confused as well. I didn't know him. How would I know him? But how come he knows me?

"I… I don't know you" I didn't know what to say so I said the truth. I took a step back and looked around. Victoria is going to be furious if she finds out I talked to one of _them_. I wasn't supposed to be tracked down at all. I've been too careless.

"Please… Don't follow me. You didn't see me. You didn't smell me. You didn't track me down… Please" I pleaded. I can't let Victoria know. Different thoughts filled my head. I didn't know what else to say so I turned around and broke into a run. I ran until I was at the heart of the park I was in earlier. I fell to my knees with my hands on my head

How did he know my name?

**Chapter End Notes:**

**So, was it too much? Let me know! Please review! Next chapter is Emmett's POV. What was he doing in Seattle??  
**


	4. Call of Duty

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to be posted. I got... distracted... so, I stopped writing for a few days. Hopefully, I'll get to write some more this week. Updates would probably be posted once a week. I'm not gonna say what day coz I'm not sure when I would finish writing but I'm definitely posting once a week. Unless, you guys give more reviews then I might post more often! (Now, I know why other people ask for reviews all the time) BTW, I want to say thank you to all those who reviewed. I greatly appreciate all of your reviews. You make my day brighter!! **

**Well, I hope I make your day with this chapter. Please tell me if you like it or if you hate it or if you think there's something wrong with it. Pretty please? Thank you!!  
**

**Credits to: Edward's Nerves by TwilightKicksAss (if you want to just laugh, read this one! it'll make your day brighter! wink wink)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 4: Call of Duty**_

EmPOV

Three years. It's been three years and he's still moping in a corner. I mean I know it would hurt a lot to lose someone. I know it would hurt a lot if I lose Rose. But come on, it was _his_ fault. I would never leave Rose the way he did. We went back to Forks because Bella was missing. People said that she went missing the day that she did cliff diving while some claimed she's dead since she never resurfaced. Alice has been trying to look into Bella's future but it was a complete blank. We tried not to think about it whenever Edward was around. The thought of Bella jumping off a cliff sent a shudder through my body. It was _his_ fault anyway. He was the one who lied. He was the one who –

A DVD case went flying over my head missing me by a quarter of an inch. I turned to see Edward head towards the staircase in vampire speed while Alice glared at me. She smacked me on the head with the magazine she was reading.

"What was that for?" I asked rubbing the spot she hit.

"You know damn well what that was for Emmett" she answered back.

I smiled at her sheepishly. I couldn't help it. It was getting on my nerves.

"Sorry Eddie" I called out, knowing he would hear me perfectly well.

_'Could you please stop moping around? It's affecting everyone especially Jasper'_ I added in my head.

_'You know how annoying it is when he's all moody. He's becoming sooo much like you now'_ I continued to add.

_'It's no fun playing video games without him… Maybe you should play with me so you could get your head off things?'_ I suggested. I was being nice.

I waited for a reply but nothing came.

"Eddie? Ehhddiiieee!!!" The whole living room reverberated as I called out. I saw Alice roll her eyes with the corner of my eyes and then I heard a growl from upstairs. After a second, I felt a DVD case hit me in the head. I looked down to see my copy of Call of Duty broken in pieces. I growled and looked up to see Edward smirking at me.

"You're going to pay for that" I snarled at him and stood up from the couch. I was about to pounce on him when I felt somebody grab me from behind. I turned to see Esme holding me by my shirt. She shook her head disapprovingly. Of course, we can't do it in the house.

"But Esme!!! He broke _the_ one and only copy of Call of Duty that I have" I reasoned out. I know I was being childish but come on! My only copy of my beloved game and now it's gone… There was no justice in this household. Just because he's depressed, he's allowed to throw things around?? That was so unfair!

Edward had an amused look on his face as I threw my little fit. Great, at least he was entertained. What an ass–

"Emmett, go hunt. It would do you some good" Alice said knowingly. What was up with people cutting off my thoughts today?

I held my head low in defeat and nodded. Fresh air would be good for me. Carlisle, Jasper and Rosalie were out hunting. Maybe I should join them? Nah. I'll just go around here.

"Fine. I'll go" I said then looked at Edward. "You will pay brother"

With that I turned around and left the house. I headed towards the forest and decided to hunt for a bit. I wandered around the woods just running around in circles. I hunted over the weekend so I'm still good. Hmm… what to do? I was still pissed off at Edward for breaking the disc when a light bulb lit up on my head. I'm gonna buy a whole bunch of copies! And I think the latest version was out now! I'll run to Port Angeles for just a bit and make sure that nobody sees me coming out off the woods. Yeah that could work! I felt my wallet at my back pocket and I broke into a run.

***

I almost slammed the door at Game Stop. Stupid store doesn't have what I want. Now, what do I do? I have to get that game. Jasper is gonna be pissed if he finds out that the game is broken. Crap. What to do? WHAT TO DO?!!

"H-hey! Hey you!" Somebody called from behind me.

I turned around to see the guy from Game Stop calling me. What does he want?

"Yeah?"

"If… If y-you really want t-that game, y-you could g-go to our branch in S-Seat-tle. They h-have a lot of copies of that. If y-you want I could c-call them and reserve a c-copy" he stuttered.

Seattle? It's not far from here. I could go there!

"Yeah, that would be great. Tell them to reserve five copies. And I'll be there before they close" I said.

The guy took a step back and looked at me like I had five heads.

"F-five c-copies?" he asked with wide eyes.

Was it really a big deal?

"Uh, yeah. Five… I have to give some copies to my brothers." Yeah, right. That's all for me just in case Edward decides to start throwing all my games at me.

"O-okay" he stuttered again then went back to the store.

Great. I'm going to have to delay my time of arrival there. Maybe thirty minutes is good enough. I did my silent exit towards the woods and I broke into a run.

***

I pushed open the door as I went out the store. I took the game out of the plastic bag and looked at it. Aaahh yess… Call of Duty 4! This is gonna be great! I can't wait to play it. I am gonna beat Jas –

A burning scent caught my nostrils as I walked towards the park that was connected to the woods. I put the game safely inside my jacket. The scent was a mixture of smoke, vampire and blood. There were news about multiple homicides in the city and of course, we knew that a human couldn't have done a lot of that in one night. We knew that newborns were on the loose but it seems like someone was getting rid of them. At least, we didn't have to do the dirty work. Okay, leave them alone. Leave them alone. I turned to the opposite direction when I suddenly heard a loud crash and then a few seconds later a blood curling scream. I ran to the direction of the sound and then a very familiar scent caught me totally off guard. The smell of freesia and strawberries was everywhere. It was getting stronger as I headed towards a dark alley. There was fire burning but nobody was there. I heard a commotion a few blocks from where I stood and followed the sound.

I wasn't prepared with what I witnessed. I almost stumbled back as I saw Bella moving beside the newborn. A few meters away from them were two other newborns. One was putting back the guy's head. What was going on here? Bella moved so fast that my eyes couldn't actually see where she really was. I stood there like a complete idiot. I was so stunned that I found it hard to move from my spot. I was hidden in the dark shadows of the alley. I continued to watch, trying to process what was going on. I saw a head _and_ an arm being pulled off. Bella quickly lit a match them threw it towards the head. And in mere seconds, she had the newborn torn into pieces and was being piled up in the fire. Just as she was throwing the last part, the guy grabbed her from behind and threw her against the wall. The wall collapsed behind her and my blood boiled as I watched the guy glare at her. How dare he grab Bella like that?!

I took a step forward and was about to growl but Bella's voice startled me.

"Well, it's nice to see you in one piece again"

I looked up to see Bella with a sly smile on her face as she stood up and dusted off her dress. I took a step back into the shadows as I continued to watch. Bella moved so fast making the guy miss her. I heard Bella say something about making the same move twice. I watched in horror as the other girl pinned her to the ground and snarled at her. I heard Bella groan that sounded… annoyed?

"You're gonna pay for that" she said and everything happened so fast. She pounced on the guy and at the same time, ripped both of his arms off. The guy fell to the ground and screamed in pain. The girl pounced on her back and I knew it was time to make my presence known. I stepped out of the shadows with shock still written all over my face. I still can't get over it. It's her. Bella.

Bella turned around and had a stunned look on her face.

"I'll take care of this one. You take care of the other one" I said as I reminded her of the situation at hand. She nodded and turned to finish ripping the limbs of the guy.

I looked at the girl that was looking at me furiously. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Sorry" I said as I grabbed the girl by her arm. I don't know why Bella was doing this but she was threatening her life so I'll have to do what it takes to save her, right? I winced as the girl screamed in pain. I can't believe I'm doing this for no reason. I sighed and started to tear her apart from limb to limb. After throwing the last part on the fire, I turned around to face her and I immediately took her in my arms. Everybody's gonna be happy again. Edward's gonna be happy. We're going to be complete again.

"Bella" I said. She stiffened in my arms and she had a confused look on her face. As I took in her face, everything sunk in. Her eyes were crimson red and she was as pale as I was, maybe even more. Her body temperature wasn't warm like before and she didn't have a heartbeat. She wasn't human anymore. She was a vampire. Ooohhh… Edward is gonna be mad. I then noticed the confused look on her face. Wait, she doesn't know me? She pushed me with such a force I almost fell. I looked up to see her looking me straight in the eye.

"Bella… It's me… Emmett" I was confused. How come she doesn't know me?

"I… I don't know you" Well, there she goes confirming my thoughts. She hesitated for a few seconds and what she said confused me even more.

"Please… Don't follow me… You didn't see me. You didn't smell me. You didn't track me down… Please" she pleaded.

I was confused. Why would she say that? Was she hiding from somebody? She looked afraid. I was about to say that she was safe with me but then she was gone. I tried to follow her but she was so fast. What she said made me stop as well. I have to give her what she wants. If she needs space, then I would give it to her.

I walked towards the opposite direction at human pace. I don't get it. How did it happen? I mean, I know how it happened but who changed her? How come she doesn't know who I was? If she doesn't know who I was, what were the chances that she would remember the rest of the family? And Edward? Edward. Shit. I have to get him out off my head. I can't let him know that I found Bella. Well, not yet. I have to talk to Carlisle first. They'll be home by tonight so maybe I could get Edward to get out of the house for a few hours. Then, I'll talk to Carlisle so we could figure out something. Yeah, that should work for now.

Now, the only problem is to keep Edward out of my head. Maybe I should annoy him so he'll walk out of the house. I walked around in circles trying to figure out how to keep Edward out of my head when the perfect idea came to my head. I swear I could be a genius sometimes! I ran towards Forks with a grin on my face. I have to keep Edward off my head. I reminded myself. Shit. He might start hearing me.

_99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall_

_98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 97 bottles of beer on the wall_

_97 bottles of beer on the wall, 97 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 96 bottles of beer on the wall_

_96 bottles of beer on the wall, 96 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 95 bottles of beer on the wall_

_95 bottles of beer on the wall, 95 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 94 bottles of beer on the wall_

I entered the door to our house to see everybody present except for Edward. He's probably in his room moping again. I started to get anxious and Jasper gave me a look. I didn't mind him and turned to Rosalie. Oh god, I missed her so much. I took her swiftly in my arms and kissed her. She looked at me concerned.

"You okay, babe?" she asked. I continued the counting in my head. I know he was gonna be suspicious but I don't care. I just need him out of my head for a few hours until I get this cleared with Carlisle.

_87 bottles of beer on the wall, 87 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 86 bottles of beer on the wall_

"Um, yeah… I'm fine… Great even!" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could. Jasper raised an eyebrow in my direction. I whistled and looked around the living room. Then, I remembered the game on my jacket.

"Guess what? I got Call of Duty 4! Come on Jazz! Let's check it out!" I said and bounded over the couch in front of the TV setting up the Xbox.

I heard Edward come down from the stairs and I started to get more nervous. Don't think about it. Don't think about.

_72 bottles of beer on the wall, 72 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 71 bottles of beer on the wall_

I put the game on the console and I waited for it to start up. Come on, hurry up! Geez… How long does it take to start up?!! I was pressing the buttons on the controller hard when I suddenly felt somebody taking the controller away from me. My eyes grew big and turned around to see everybody staring at me.

"What? I don't know anything! I mean, why the hell are you staring at me like that?!" Fuck. I'm screwed.

_68 bottles of beer on the wall, 68 bottles of beer, take one down pass it around, 65? Screw it. Don't think about numbers. Think of something else. _

_Don't think about it_ seems to be my mantra so I decided to go with that. _ Come on. Don't slip. You didn't see anything. You didn't see anything. _Bella's face looking up at me confused flashed my mind for a brief second. I looked up to see Edward's confused look become furious.

Oh shit.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I was thinking of letting Bella slam Emmett into a wall but I think there was a whole bunch of throwing on the previous chapter that I decided to leave it off. LOL Oh, I'm not gonna leave any preview to the next chapter since I'm still debating if I should include the wolves or no. What do you think? Drop me a word if you want to have a say in it.  
**

**I know I said it earlier, please review? Thank you!  
**


	5. Selfish

**A/N: Okay, here's Chapter 5! I have to be honest here. I had a hard time writing Edward's POV that's why I kept on changing my mind on what to put in or what not to. Anyway, here's what I came up with. I hope nobody gets disappointed. This one was supposed to be a long chapter but I decided to divide it into two chapters. A lot of people liked Emmett's POV. I have to admit, I liked writing his POV and even thought of putting up the whole story in his POV! LOL Don't worry. That's not gonna happen. Anyways, go read. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to the people who reviewed!  
**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 5: Selfish**_

**EPOV**

Somebody grabbed my arm before my fist even made contact with Emmett's face. I growled with frustration at the person holding my arm. I pulled my arm away not knowing who was grabbing hold of me. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb as I paced the room back and forth. How dare he think of _her_ that way? Hasn't he had enough of annoying me today?!

"Sorry" I heard Emmett say. I felt Jasper send calming waves my way and it helped a bit.

_Cool it, Edward._ Jasper said.

I nodded towards his direction as I felt my muscles relax but I couldn't bring myself to relax all the way. Where the hell did he get the idea of Bella with blood red eyes? There was only one person who ever saw what Bella would look like as a vampire but she never brought it up again.

"You weren't supposed to see that" he mumbled.

I stopped pacing and glared at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked coldly.

"Okay guys, I'm confused. What are you guys talking about? Please enlighten the rest of the family" Alice said.

"Yes and please enlighten us as well why you almost punched Emmett" Rosalie said.

"Ask him" I said in between my gritted teeth. I continued to glare at Emmett as he tried to look anywhere but me. He was hiding something from me. And it has something to do with _her_.

"Well, Emmett? What is it?" Esme asked.

Emmett sighed and looked at Esme before looking at me then settled his eyes towards the ground.

"This afternoon, as Esme and Alice know, Edward broke the only copy of Call of Duty that I have" he paused for a dramatic effect.

"He what?!!" Jasper exclaimed with his eyes wide open.

I saw Alice and Rosalie roll their eyes at the both of them. _Them and their video games_.

"Don't worry, I got it replaced but that's part of my story. I went to Port Angeles to get a new copy, coz I know you'd be pissed, but they didn't have it. It was a good thing that the Seattle branch has it so I decided to run to Seattle"

"That's when you disappeared" Alice interrupted.

Emmett looked at Alice confused.

"So, you didn't see anything that happened in Seattle?" he asked. What the hell was going on here? I remembered Alice getting a blurry vision earlier but I just brushed it off.

"No, I didn't. Things got blurry then it went completely blank. I tried contacting you but I couldn't so I called Carlisle right away"

"Hmmm… That's odd…" he said thoughtfully.

"Argh! This was going nowhere! Who cares about a stupid video game?! I don't see the connection between this and Bella" I exclaimed aggravated. He's just annoying me today. Today of all days. Why today?

"Bella?" Carlisle asked surprised.

"Well, I'm getting to that part when you so rudely interrupted... Anyway, I went to Seattle and got the game. When I got out of the store, I smelt three things. Smoke, blood and vampires. I didn't mind it at first but then I heard somebody scream" My body tensed as he continued to tell the story.

"I ran towards the direction of the scream. On my way towards the sound, I got to a dark alley where a small fire was burning with limbs in it. I was gonna check it out but then I heard a crashing sound so I ran there as fast as I could. What I saw shocked the hell outta me"

Emmett chose that moment to flash an image of a girl wearing a slightly torn dress fighting off three newborns. The image of the girl slowly looked up and the image knocked the air out of me. It was _her._ Bella. I grabbed Emmett by the collar of his shirt and slammed him onto the wall. Why? Why does he have to bring it up?

"What kind of sic ‒" I was cut off by Carlisle holding onto my shoulder.

"Son, let him finish talking. Then you can ask your questions" he said firmly and I loosened my grip on Emmett's shirt.

"Fine" I spat and took a seat on the couch. This is getting on my nerves.

"I didn't make it up Edward. It was her. Bella was there fighting three newborns. She was really fast and strong. She ripped out the girl's head and arm at the same time! I wasn't able to think properly when I saw her. It took me minutes before I even moved. I couldn't believe it!" Emmett exclaimed.

I clenched my fingers tightly as I processed the images he was sending my way. It was really _her_. It was Bella. My Bella. But she wasn't human. No, no human could kill a newborn, let alone three. She had pale skin and her body was perfect in every angle just like a vampire. Beautiful, perfect and a monster. No, my Bella's not a monster. She would never be. I'm the monster. I ruined her life. If I didn't leave, she would've never been like that. She wouldn't be damned to this life. She would've been human. She would've lived a good human life. She would've never been like that. I didn't pay attention to Emmett's story anymore. I was lost. I stood up from the couch and ran out of the house. I heard them call my name but I didn't look back.

I kept running until I reached it. Our meadow. The one place that reminded me her. I sank to my knees as I held my head in my hands. Sobs escaped my chest as I gripped on the grass. He was right. He might've been annoying me but he was right. It was my fault. Everything was my fault. I was being selfish when I left her. I thought I was thinking of what's best for her but I was thinking of what's best for me. How could a human be good for a vampire without drinking them dry? She was ready to give up everything for me but I wasn't. I couldn't let her do that. I had to leave her. I was too selfish to even think of what could happen if I left her.

I tried to tell myself over and over that I didn't need her in my life but that was a lie. No matter how many times I tell myself that she was no good for me, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I lied about how she was no good for me when she was the only good thing that ever happened in my life. My Bella. My sobs were getting louder and louder. She was my world. She was my light. She was my life and will always be. And now, I damned her to this life because of my selfishness.

I was so stupid. How could I forget the one thing I made her promise me? There were other things out there. Other vampires roaming around. And her being a danger magnet attracted another vampire. I'm not the only one who finds her scent so good and so sweet.

And now, she was one of us. She wasn't with us but she's out there. Somewhere. Living a life of a nomad. Would she ever forgive me for what I've done? If she really was there, why didn't she go here with Emmett?

I heard quiet footsteps approach but I didn't look up. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and pulled me towards them softly. He didn't talk. He just held me there and let me sobbed dryly. When my sobs subsided, I looked up to face him. He had a pained and concerned expression on his face.

_Son._

Carlisle continued to hold me there for a few minutes until I was able to compose myself.

_Don't worry, Edward. We'll find her. We will all look for her and bring her home._

I nodded as the both of us stood up.

"What if she never forgives me?" I asked pain evident in my voice. I don't know if Bella would ever forgive me for what I've done but I'm hoping that she would forgive my family.

Carlisle sighed.

"I don't know son. It's been three years. Who knows? Maybe the reason why she didn't show up for years was because she has been thinking of things. Or she could have been looking for us. I don't know" he said honestly.

Three years. It was three years today ever since I left Bella.

"That's not the reason why she didn't come back" a voice echoed throughout the forest.

Carlisle and I turned around to see Emmett walk towards us.

"What do you mean Emmett?" Carlisle asked.

Emmett sighed and looked at Carlisle then rested his eyes on me.

"She doesn't remember us"

**Chapter End Notes:  
**

**So, are you okay with or are you disappointed? Let me know! Please review. Thank you!!  
**


	6. There's more that meets the eye

**A/N: Wow. Thank you to all those who reviewed! Here's another chapter for you! I wanted to put this up yesterday but I wasn't really satisfied with the way it was so I edited a few things. Some people wanted Bella's reaction so here it is. I had to cut Edward's POV since I'm having a hard time getting into his head. Next chapter is on the works already so please be patient with my updates. I will be updating as fast as I could but please understand that I have college to worry about and work at the same time so I could only write in between. Thank you once again. Now, go read.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 6: There's more that meets the eye**_

**BPOV**

The darkly lit alley was the same as I left it. A mess. With my quick and hasty exit, I didn't get the chance to clean up the mess I made. It would be horrible if the humans suspect something inhuman was happening overnight in their neighborhood. It would be worse if _she_ finds about it. I shook off that horrible thought and proceeded to the task at hand. Riley would be coming soon to check if the job was done. I can't let him get suspicious.

I've been too careless. I checked the area twice today and made sure that the other coven wasn't near. I was certain that they were located in another town but how come one of them was in the same location as I was on the same night of my hunt? The golden eyed vampire seemed shocked to see me though. He looked at me as if we haven't seen each other for a long time. And he said my name. How did he know my name? Did we know each other when I was human? How long have we known each other? Was he a vampire when I met him? Or human? Impossible. He was probably a vampire already when I met him. Victoria did say that their coven interacted with humans. So, how come Victoria didn't want me to get tracked by them? Is it because she doesn't want to lose me to them? Yeah. Maybe that's the reason why. I mean, who else does the hunting for her? Who gives her meals? Who does everything she says with no complains? Me. I was the only one. She would never allow Riley to go out on those hunts. She won't let him go out there without her consent. So, it all comes down to me. That makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, what other reason could there be?

I shook the thoughts off my head. Victoria was just being protective of me. I should keep it at that. No more questions. I shouldn't be questioning her motives in the first place. I proceeded to clean up the burnt remains. I dug a hole on the nearby park and threw the limbs there. I can't let the humans see the burnt body parts and be suspicious.

I was left with one problem. The wall. Almost half of the wall I hit was gone. I stood there thinking of what I could do to make it look like something huge hit it instead of something small that collapsed for no reason. Very suspicious, indeed. Putting it back together was out of the question. There was no way I could put it back without buying all the things I needed. Money was another thing out of the question.

"I hope there have been no problems here?" A voice broke through my thoughts

I turned around to see Victoria walking towards me with Riley following her closely.

"No… No problems at all, Victoria" I said looking down.

"Are you sure? You seem to be thinking hard about something. Having distractions again?" I looked up to see her raising an eyebrow at me.

"No… No distractions. I was just thinking of how I could cover this up" I said pointing to the wall.

"Did I ever ask you to cover up anything after your job?" she asked sternly.

I immediately put my head down again. No, she never did.

"No" I said softly.

"Then, why cover it up? There's no sense in doing it" she said with the same tone.

"I… I just didn't want the humans to get suspicious. I mean, if they start suspecting something and the Vol ‒"

"I don't care if they find out! Let them get suspicious! We'll be far gone by the time they start looking! And the Volturi won't find anything! Do you understand?!" she shouted at me while giving me the look that I've always questioned.

"Yes, Victoria" I said softly.

She should've just shouted profanities in my face instead of giving me that look. There it was again. The look as if she's hiding something from me. The look that says there's more that meets the eye.

There was silence for a few minutes. I could feel her glaring at me so I didn't dare look up. I waited for her to start talking again.

"Look at me" she ordered and I obeyed. I could see Riley giving me a small smile. He didn't say anything but nodded in encouragement. I looked at Victoria straight in the eye.

"Now, did you have any encounter with the other coven I told you about?" she asked. Her tone changed. It was hard to explain but it wasn't stern anymore. It was something else.

I felt my muscles tense as I repeated her question in my head. I can't tell her. I can't let her know that one of them actually talked to me. I can't. I know I'll never get answers from her. I have to find them out for myself.

"No, I didn't encounter any of them" I said as honestly as I could. I was good at hiding things from her so she didn't get suspicious. She believed me.

"Good" she nodded her head in approval.

"Now, leave this mess alone. Go find me and Riley something to drink. I'm thirsty" she ordered.

I nodded my head and turned around. I could feel her stare burn the back of my head as I walked the towards the main street. I sighed in relief as I turned the corner. Well, that was easy. At least, she didn't ask any more questions. Whatever thoughts I had earlier in the park were now hidden in a safe compartment on my head. I only think of them whenever I'm alone. She always seem to know when I have my "distractions."

I continued to walk up the street. It was dark and the light bulb on one of the post was blinking on and off. It gave the street an eerie feeling that could give somebody goosebumps. Nobody was walking on this part of the city at this time of night. It was around midnight and there were less people out. After a few minutes of walking, I finally found my unlucky prey. He gave me an easy way to get him as he made a turn into one of the darker alleys. Just as I turned into the same alley, the light bulb blinked off giving total darkness for a fraction of a second.

_I paused for only a second, but it felt like a very long time. I turned then and darted to the other side of the road. I had a sinking feeling that it was a wasted attempt. The footsteps behind me were louder now._

_"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made me jump. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me._

_"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump again as I tried to hurry down the street._

_"We just took a little detour."_

_My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly. I had a good loud scream, and I sucked in air, preparing to use it, but my throat was so dry I wasn't sure how much volume I could manage. With a quick movement I slipped my purse over my head, gripping the strap with one hand, ready to surrender it or use it as weapon as need demanded. The thickset man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street._

_"Stay away from me," I warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless. But I was right about the dry throat — no volume._

_"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, and the raucous laughter started again behind me._

_I braced myself, feet apart, trying to remember through my panic what little self-defense I knew. Heel of the hand thrust upward, hopefully breaking the nose or shoving it into the brain. Finger through the eye socket — try to hook around and pop the eye out. And the standard knee to the groin, of course. That same pessimistic voice in my mind spoke up then, reminding me that I probably wouldn't have a chance against one of them, and there were four. Shut up! I commanded the voice before terror could incapacitate me. I wasn't going out without taking someone with me. I tried to swallow so I could build up a decent scream._

_Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. I dove into the road — __this __car was going to stop, or have to hit me. But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me._

_"Get in," a furious voice commanded._

The light blinked back on again. I stood there frozen to the spot.

What the hell just happened?

I didn't get the chance to think about it as I heard _her _voice from the distance.

"I'm thirsty, Bella"

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Please review? Thank you!**

**Credits: Italics part is completely taken from Twilight pp. 159-162 paperback version. No copyright infringement intended.  
**


	7. The Cullens

**A/N: Since I love you guys so much, I've decided to post another chapter! Thank you to all those who reviewed! You have no idea how much you make my day! Like I said, I will post when I can. So, be patient. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 7: The Cullens**_

**BPOV**

Victoria allowed me to leave them as soon as I gave them their meal. I didn't want to see them feeding anyway. I needed time to figure out what was going on with me. First, I hear a voice in my head. Second, I had some sort of vision that doesn't make any sense. What was gonna come next? I shuddered at the thought of having another unexplained voice or vision in my head.

And then, there was this unexplained hole in my chest. It's not there physically but the pain I felt was so heart wrenching that it feels like I have this hole where my heart should've been beating. It doesn't happen all the time but for some reason, it's like something was triggering it from time to time.

Something that Victoria said clicked on my head. My past. My human life. Those unexplained things must've been from my human life. They were probably memories from my past. The vision I had felt so real I thought I was actually there. But, why now? Why didn't I get them before? What triggered the memory? There has to be some sort of explanation for those things. There were a lot of questions about my human life that I wanted to know but nobody could help me. An image of the big burly vampire flashed my mind. He knew me. He knew me when I was human. He could help me figure out what the voice and the vision meant. He could help me. He could give me the answers to my questions. But then, there would be his coven. That would be a big problem. Covens are very protective of each other. I need to know more about his coven so I would know how to approach him. Unless, they knew me as well. Then, what? Ugh. This is so frustrating! I'll figure that one out later. Right now, I need to get information about that coven. And there was only one person who could tell me all about it. Victoria. Great. I have to figure out how I'm going to ask her without making her suspicious.

I lied down on the damp ground and closed my eyes. I listened to the water flowing from the river and some scampering a few feet away from me. I tried relaxing so that I could think properly. I felt the cool breeze blew silently. I don't get her sometimes. There would be days she would be sweet and concerned, which rarely happens but it does. Then, there would be days she would treat me like some sort of animal and orders me to kill those newborns. Then, there were those days that she would just keep looking down at me. It was like I did something to her and she wanted to get rid of me. Riley would always say to just brush it off. I try to but it bothers me most of the time.

Riley was another of Victoria's pet who just stays on her side all the time unless she needs him to check up on me. She would say that he was her mate but I don't believe that. She treats him differently compared to the other vampires we've met who have mates.

I opened my eyes and looked up to the midnight sky. There were thick clouds covering the stars tonight. It looked like it was gonna rain. I sighed as I sat up from my position and faced the river. I was supposed to meet them here by sunrise and I still had a few hours to spare for myself. I sat there staring at oblivion, for hours, when a thought slowly crept my mind. Victoria said that my next assignment would have something to do with the odd coven. She also said she would be giving me information about them. I wonder what my assignment would be. I wonder how she got her information. Was it possible that she knew them? I began to ponder on what kind of assignment this would be. Surely, she wouldn't want me to kill them. But then, all her orders were to kill newborns. But, why? The guy who helped me earlier didn't seem to be an enemy. In fact, he even helped me kill that newborn and shred her into pieces without asking a single question.

I sat there silently watching the river until the sun started to peek through the mountains. There was a bit of light but the dark clouds kept the sun from shining. I sensed Victoria and Riley coming. They were about a mile away from where I was. I stood up from my spot and dusted off my dress. Just as I was done suspecting the tear on my dress, they were standing there in front of me.

"Bella" Victoria greeted me while Riley smiled at me.

"Victoria… Riley…" I greeted them back.

"So, five newborns, huh?" he asked grinning.

I smiled back and nodded. Victoria watched us with an amused look on her face.

"Damn! I wish I was there to watch you fight them off! You didn't even lose anything!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Well, I almost lost an arm and one of them ripped the side of my dress" I said pointing at the tear.

"That's nothing! Didn't one of them had some sort of ta‒" he quickly shut his mouth and looked at Victoria.

Victoria gave him a disapproving look then turned to me.

I looked at him puzzled. How did he know about that?

Victoria cleared her throat to get my attention.

"Now, now. Bella did a great job. Let's leave it at that, shall we? Let's move on to more important things" she said.

They're keeping things from me. I knew it.

"We're going to the next town tomorrow. I have a job for you there. I want you to observe the coven I told you about"

She looked at me straight in the eye as she talked. Probably waiting to see what my reaction was. I just looked at her blankly and continued to listen.

"They're known as the Cullens. They are currently residing in a small town called Forks. We will not be staying exactly where they are because we don't want them to track any of us. Especially, me. If they track you down, don't ever let them see you. Since neither Riley or I would be going with you, I want you to meet us on the same place that we would be going to tomorrow in a week's time and give me a full report about them. Got it?"

I nodded and she continued to give me information.

"You have to be aware of a few things about the Cullens. There are seven vampires in that coven. Three of them have talents. The pixie-like girl could see the future, her mate is an empath and the other one is a mind reader. Observe them and you will know who has the talent. Do not underestimate the other ones. They might not have talents but they are vampires"

I nodded again. There was one question I was itching to ask and I had to know now.

"How come they're not like other vampires? You said they interacted with humans and they have gold eyes" I asked curiously.

"Ahh.. I was hoping you would ask that question. They're vegetarians" she said simply.

"Vegetarians?" Riley asked puzzled. We both had the same puzzled look on our face.

"Yes. They only feed on animals. They learned to control their thirst that's why they are able interact with humans"

I simply nodded. Riley, however, had other things in his mind.

"Is that even possible for a vampire? To be so close to blood all the time and not get tempted to drink them dry?" he asked with his crimson eyes turning a darker color. Just the thought of blood seem to be making him thirsty. And he just had his fill too.

"Yes, it is. The leader of their coven is actually a doctor for the humans. He works in the hospital where blood is present at all times and he never lost control of his thirst"

Riley shook his head and just laughed. He didn't believe any of the things that Victoria just said. I did, though. I have seen one of them. He really had gold eyes. Honey-colored ones.

What a strange coven. Vegetarian vampires. Who would've thought?

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I know I always ask but... please review? Just hit the button down there.... If any of you are confused as to what is going on, feel free to ask!  
**

**Thanks!  
**


	8. Going through the motions

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Lots of things going on. That and I couldn't figure out how to start this chapter (as usual). Anyways, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews. My days are usually dull and you guys make it brighter!! So, thank you! I'll try replying to your reviews hopefully over the weekend. I know a lot of people liked Emmett's POV, well, here's another one with Jasper's. I don't know if I got in his head right but he fights me off all the time so here's what I came up with. LOL. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

**_Chapter 8: Going through the motions_  
**

**JPOV**

Different emotions were hitting me every second. A mixture of anger, confusion, excitement, sadness, guilt, hope, longing, frustration and a lot of different of emotions were hitting me from all directions of the house. It was giving me a headache. I tried sending calm waves to everybody in the house but it wasn't working. They would all relax for a few minutes and then the different emotions would start creeping back.

Emmett tried to distract me by playing the new game he got. He was fuming earlier when he found one of the discs had cracked because of the force that _Bella_ used to push him away.

I didn't know if I should believe that or not. Not everybody had decided if they wanted to believe Emmet's story or not. They kept changing their mind about it, hence the different emotions in the house. It was chaotic to be honest and it was driving me insane.

After Emmett, Edward and Carlisle got back, Emmett wanted to prove what he said so he took us to the "crime scene," as he put it, where he saw Bella. All of us didn't want to believe it because nobody caught any scent of any vampire in the area. There were no traces of any of the newborns he was talking about or Bella in that area. The fire that Emmett claimed was no longer there. He got confused as well but there was one thing that didn't get unnoticed and it was very suspicious. Part of the wall on one of the abandoned buildings was gone. There was no rubble of any kind left to indicate any recent activity but the huge hole was there. It was the only thing that could be proven in his story. According to him, it was where Bella got thrown by the newborn. It was hard to believe but it was there. We searched the woods near that area but we didn't catch any scent or trace at all. He then proceeded to tell us that Bella didn't want to be tracked which was probably the reason why we're not getting anything. Edward got mad, of course. He thinks, well we all do, that Emmett was playing some kind of sick joke. He insisted that he wasn't playing around and he actually saw and touched Bella himself. Alice tried to look for Bella's future but keeps on coming up blank. We didn't have solid evidence that Bella was alive. Well, dead but a vampire.

A low growl came from upstairs. I sighed and apologized in my head. I turned to see Emmett smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at him and put my attention back to the game. It was hard to concentrate on the game with different things going on at the same time. I think Emmett was using this to his advantage. I finally saw his soldier moving on the other side of my screen. I smirked to myself as I maneuvered my soldier to slowly follow him from the other side without him noticing me. Seriously, he needs to accept the fact that I could beat him at his own games. I shot him three times on the chest and we both watched his character fall down on his face. Emmett growled at me and I was about to slap him on the back when I felt a pinch of amusement coming from the outside. My body tensed as the feeling lasted for more than a second. I stood up immediately and ran outside the house. I faced the woods and stared straight ahead. I didn't catch any unusual scent but somebody was there I knew it. I've been getting weird feelings from the outside for the past few days and I was getting suspicious more each day. The emotion would be there for about a tenth of a second then it would be gone. It was like that each day and today lasted more than a second. I was positive that something or someone was watching us.

"Show yourself" I demanded.

**BPOV**

_Play around with them. Confuse them. Threaten them. Do whatever it takes for them not to track you down._

Those were the words that Victoria left me. It was confusing and it didn't make any sense. I'm sure there's a much bigger plan there and she's not telling me anything. Well, she never did say anything directly to me but orders.

I sighed.

I've been watching the Cullens for almost four days now and I didn't see them as a threat in any way at all. I've been observing each of them carefully but I've been coming up with nothing bad to report about them. If they weren't pale skinned and moving at vampire speed to go about their business, I would've thought they were normal human people at first glance.

The huge glass windows helped me a lot. I could move from one window to another and get a glimpse of what they were doing. I got to know who was who and what each of them has the talents that Victoria mentioned.

Carlisle was the leader of the coven. He was a real doctor, just like _she_ said. I would see him leave in the morning to go to work and come back in the afternoon or evening. A vampire going to work would have to be the most ridiculous idea ever. And he's a doctor for crying out loud! If he wasn't out working, he would be in his office, reading books. He's got endless rows of books.

Esme was his mate and the maternal figure that cares about the rest of the coven. She seems to be the one doing all the work on the house. She would usually be out in her garden or in the house fixing something. Or in the kitchen. God knows vampires don't eat human food so I always wonder what she does in there.

I learned the name of the big burly vampire I met to be Emmett. I assumed he was the strongest in his coven because of his built. But despite his built, he was the most child-like in the coven. He would always come up with something stupid. He was either playing video games or watching television. If neither of those, he was with his mate.

The beautiful blonde vampire, Rosalie. She would have to be the most beautiful vampire I've ever seen. She could've walked out of a magazine for all I know. No words could describe how beautiful she looked. But despite her looks, what she does for her past time would be something I would've never thought she would know something about. She was usually on their garage under a car. Who would've thought?

Alice was the psychic. She was the pixie-like girl who could see the future. I have seen her when she would get a vision and when she's trying to look at the future. I noticed that she bounces a lot when she's excited about something. She seems to go out of the house every time she got excited and comes back with a lot of shopping bags.

Jasper, her mate, was the empath. I had to keep my feelings in check at all times around the house. He gets suspicious every now and then and he would look out the window trying to look for me. Well, he couldn't see me, of course. I was hidden very well. He was usually playing video games with Emmett, if not he would be in his study.

And then, there's Edward. He was the mind reader. It was kind of hard to figure out at the beginning but then I would suddenly hear him growling from his room out of nowhere. So, that led me to conclude that the rest of the coven was talking to him in their heads. He never talked back though. From the first day I started to watch them, he never left his room. He was always listening to different kinds of music. If he wasn't changing the CD, he would be lying down on the black couch facing the ceiling. He never moved. It was as if he was thinking very deeply. I felt bad for him hearing all those minds. It must be driving him crazy. I wondered why he stayed up there all the time. I didn't have to worry about him reading my mind.

There was nothing suspicious about them at all. In fact, they acted like a family. A normal human family. There was the dad, the mom and the children. They were fascinating to watch. I didn't dare come up too close to the house. Someone will sure sense something suspicious.

I found out that they have been looking for me in Seattle a couple of days ago but of course they didn't find me. I was trained very well not to leave any tracks behind. Everywhere _my_ coven goes, I do the clean up. I was good at it as well. Nobody has ever tracked us down. Ever. There won't be a first time either.

Today, they were going about their usual businesses. It was late in the afternoon and the gray clouds were making the light more duller than it already was. Carlisle just got back from work. Esme was inside the house fixing God knows what. Alice and Rosalie were in their respective rooms. Emmett and Jasper were playing a video game. And Edward was, well, in his room.

During days like these, I liked watching Emmett and Jasper play. Jasper would always beat Emmett at some point and then he would throw a childish fit. It was quite amusing really. And entertaining. I watched Jasper's character sneak behind Emmett's and shot him three times on the chest. Emmett growled and I silently chuckled to myself at his reaction. Jasper was about to slap him on the back when his body suddenly tensed.

Shit. He caught that. I watched him run out the house at vampire speed and looked straight at my direction. Well, he didn't really see me but I could see his eyes searching for me. I knew he would be able to see me if I moved from my position but if I don't he would definitely look for me. Not just him but the rest of the coven.

"Show yourself" he demanded.

"I know you're there. There's no point in hiding" he threatened.

A plan started to form in my head and I felt the ends of my lips twitch. I got out of my hiding place and walked forward.

**JPOV**

"I know you're there. There's no point in hiding" I said.

I felt the rest of the family come out of the house and stood behind me. Even Edward got out of his room to see what was going on. Apparently, he didn't hear anybody else's thoughts but ours. There was only one person I knew whose mind he couldn't read.

I heard Alice gasp and I quickly turned around to see her having a vision.

"It… It can't be" she said shocked.

"What is it Alice?" I looked at her but she was staring straight ahead.

I looked at Edward to ask him but he was just staring straight ahead with a shocked yet pained look. Before I even got the chance to ask again, I heard a shuffle from the woods. I was on a defensive crouch immediately but Alice held me back. I looked at her confused and then she pointed forward.

"Bella" she whispered.

I gazed at the direction she was pointing to. Walking slowly towards us was a girl with a torn dress. Her dark colored hair framed her heart-shaped face. Her pale skin was paler than what it used to be and her eyes. Her eyes were a deep shade of crimson. It seemed like she had just recently fed. She was walking towards us with a small devious smile playing at the end of her lips. She was staring straight at me and only me. Her gaze made my body shudder. It was as if she had planned something that would end up badly.

Then she stopped. She stood there where the trees ended. She was about 20 feet away from us. She then started to look at each of us one by one. I didn't feel anything coming from her. It was like she wasn't there at all. She tilted her head to side as she looked from one person to the next. We all watched her as her gaze ended on Edward. He was staring at her with wide eyes but I could feel the different emotions that were raging inside him.

"Bella" he whispered.

Everything happened so fast the moment he said her name. My knees gave out and I sank to the ground as pain hit me. She was just standing there taking all of us in when I felt the stabbing pain on my chest. I groaned as I tried suppressing it with my hand. It was coming from her. I felt her take it away and replace it with numbness.

Then, she ran.

I wasn't sure what happened next since my hands fell to the ground. I was gasping for air like my life depended on it. I was expecting the pain to disappear like she did but it didn't. Instead the stabbing pain continued and I felt a hole slowly opening up. It felt like it was consuming me slowly and painfully. It was pure torture. It felt as if my body was being torn apart. The pain was eating up every inch of my body as it slowly spread throughout my chest. I didn't have enough strength to even sit up so I let my body fall to the ground. I closed my eyes as I tried to put my arms around my chest to keep myself together. How can somebody endure so much pain?

I could hear my family's voices but it was like they were so far away. One voice stood out. Alice. My angel. A dry sob escaped my chest and I started to gasp out for air. I, normally, didn't need to breathe but at the moment it felt like it was the one thing I needed the most.

"Jasper… Japser… What's wrong? Jasper… Answer me, please…" I heard Alice sobbing softly beside me. I felt worry and confusion coming from different directions and I gave out another groan.

"I… d-don't…." I gasped out. I can't even finish a phrase. I have to get out of here. There was too much emotions shooting at me. I need space. I need to breathe.

I opened my eyes and looked at Alice straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry" I managed to whisper out and she nodded.

I ran with the strength I had left. I didn't know how long I was running for but when the last bit of strength left my body, I collapsed by a river side. I will explain to Alice later. I tried ignoring the pain that was tugging at my chest as I tried to breathe. That's it. Breathe in, breathe out. I did that for about ten minutes. I tried to sit up and I was successful. I closed my eyes as I continued my breathing.

It was probably an hour later that I was able to compose myself. The pain was still throbbing on my chest but I somehow took control of it. How could anyone feel so much pain? It was literally eating me alive. She wasn't even aware that she was sending me those feelings. I felt her confusion as I fell down on the ground. What bothered me the most was that it felt like she wasn't there at all at first, then she looked at Edward and felt the pain for about a fraction of a second, and upon seeing me clutch my chest, she replaced it with numbness. For that fraction of a second, the pain stuck to me like a hungry parasite. She knew I felt all of that and she replaced it with numbness. She knew I felt her pain. It must've been her outside our house for the past few days.

Then, why did she look at us like she was seeing for the first time? And that glazed look on her face. It gave my body shivers if it was possible for a vampire to get them. It was like she was planning to attack us while she was looking at each of us. Emmett was right. She didn't remember us. But, how did she know so much and still be clueless at the same time?

I listened to the water flowing in the river. I didn't know how long I stayed there. It was already dark when I opened my eyes again. Hours have probably passed by already. I knew they were worried about me. I wasn't ready to go back yet. They would understand.

I lied down on the ground putting my hands at the back of my head and I stared at the night sky. I tried to relax but I felt somebody watching me. No, there were no emotions. Just like the few days. As if on cue, I heard a twig snap. I turned around to see _her_ stood by the trees, just like earlier. But this time, her face looked pain. It was no longer glazed. She looked pained and confused but I didn't feel anything coming from her. She looked down on the ground and I heard her whisper.

"I'm sorry"

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I love cliff hangers, if you haven't noticed already. But yeah, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. If you have any questions, ask away. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. What I'm trying to say is... please review? Thank you!! I get ideas from your reviews you know.. So, if you want me to add something, ask away, don't hesitate! **


	9. Instinct

**A/N: I'm glad a lot of people liked the previous chapter. Here's the new chapter as promised to those who reviewed. Thank you once again to those people! You know who you are!:D Okay, go read. I don't really have a lot to say. I'm drained for the day. There might be some errors so give me some slack for today. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 9: Instinct**_

**EPOV**

I let myself drown in the different melodies of Debussy. It was the only way I could pull myself away from this cruel reality. The different thoughts in the house weren't helping. I tried tuning them out but they seem to get louder each time. I turned the volume of the speakers as loud as I could get it to go. I sighed and closed my eyes.

Their thoughts and mine were filled with the possibility that Bella could still be out there. But, where was she? She didn't leave any trace behind. Did she not want to be found? Emmett said she didn't recognize him at all. Did she block us from her thoughts too much that she couldn't remember us at all?

I opened my eyes to look at the ceiling. I traced the pattern with my finger in midair. My days were usually spent like this. I lie down on my couch with music blaring from the speakers. I couldn't leave my room without being asked where I was going. I couldn't blame them. The day I found out that Bella jumped off a cliff was the day I headed to Volterra. I pleaded to the brothers to end my life but they found my gift too precious to go to waste. Alice, of course, saw my decision and had Carlisle fly to Italy with her to stop me. Since, that day, I was never able to look at Carlisle or anyone else straight in their eye. I was too ashamed of myself.

I shook the painful memory away from my head. Instead, I filled my head with memories of _her_. I missed everything about her. Her eyes, Her smile, her laugh, her scent. Oh, her sweet scent. What I would give just to be able to smell her sweet scent again. The smell of freesia and strawbe−

_Well, dead but a vampire_.

I growled. It was still hard to accept that Bella was a vampire. It was my fault. I was the reason she was like that. If I haven't left her, none of this would be happening.

Jasper apologized and I heard Emmett smirk.

I sighed. I shouldn't be getting mad at him for bringing it up. He couldn't help it after all. He wasn't the only one thinking about it. Everybody in the house was. I should be the one apologizing to him. He's been suffering along with me because of my mistake. He still blames himself for what happened. I didn't blame him though. It wasn't him who left. It wasn't him who broke _her_ heart. It wasn't him who lied.

I stood up from my couch and walked towards the CD player. I stopped the CD that was playing. I should at least go down there and apologize.

_You should forgive yourself too, Edward._

I opened my door and headed towards Alice's room. I was about to knock on her door, when it opened. I felt her arms go around me and pulled me in for a hug as I stood there.

_I'm glad you finally came to your senses. _Alice thought as she let go of me and looked me in the eye.

I looked away. I couldn't look at her straight in the eye. I fidgeted while she held me there. I was about to answer her but I heard Jasper throwing the controller and running outside leaving a fuming Emmett in the living room.

_I'm positive that something or someone is watching us_. Jasper kept thinking to himself.

I frowned at his thought. Somebody couldn't have been out there. I didn't hear anyone else's thoughts but ours. Surely, Alice would've seen someone coming.

"Show your self" he demanded.

"I know you're out there. There's no point in hiding" he said to no one in particular.

Alice and I looked at each other puzzled and we both got out of the house almost at the same speed. The rest of the family came out one by one as Jasper stood there in front of us.

_There's only one person I know whose mind he couldn't read._

I froze. It can't be. Can it? Is it possible?

Alice gasped and I stood there rooted to the spot as she had a vision of a woman walking towards us. Everything about her was blurry. We couldn't see her face clearly. Then, the vision changed to all of us running and then being thrown against the trees and the forest floor one by one.

"It… It can't be" she said shocked.

"What is it, Alice?" I heard Jasper ask.

The vision stopped and Alice pointed forward.

"Bella" she whispered.

There she was. My Bella. She jumped down gracefully to the ground and slowly stood up. She walked towards us at a slow human pace. For that moment, I didn't see anything else but her. I could hear the different thoughts of my family but they started to sound muffled as she continued to walk towards us. Towards me. She was almost the same as when I… when I left. Her hair, her lips, her nose, her eyes. Her eyes. My heart dropped as I looked at her eyes. They were no longer the chocolate brown orbs I loved getting lost into. They were a deeper shade of crimson. Bloody red eyes. It reveals what kind of diet she has. That was when I took the rest of her in. Her skin was paler than it used to be. The look in her eyes was glazed and blank. They were focused on Jasper but they were empty. They weren't the same as before. They weren't filled with curiosity. She had a sly smile playing at the ends of her lips. Her dress was torn on the side, just like Emmett said. I could almost hear him saying I-told-you-so.

And then she stopped.

She broke her gaze away from Jasper's and started looking at each of us. She tilted her head to the side slightly, like a curious child, as she took us in one by one. And then, her gaze landed on me. I wanted to run to her and hold her in my arms again. I wanted to fall down on my knees and ask for her forgiveness. It doesn't matter if it would take her an eternity to forgive me. I felt the pain that started tugging on my chest as she just looked at me. She doesn't remember. She doesn't know me. I looked her straight in the eye. I didn't care if pain was evident in my voice or in my face. I had to know.

"Bella" I whispered.

**BPOV**

"Bella" he whispered.

It was him. It was his voice that I've been hearing. It was the same velvety voice that had been haunting me. I felt the familiar pain on my chest slowly rising. The hole was opening up again. I quickly ignored it and replaced it with the numbness I was so used to bringing up. My eyes flickered to the empath. I watched in horror as I saw him clutch his chest and sank to his knees.

No. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to feel that. I didn't know what I to do and I panicked.

_Run! _I told myself.

I ran. I ran away from them. That wasn't part of the plan. I was just gonna provoke one of them and let them chase me. I just wanted a little game. Nothing but a game. That was what it was supposed to be. A game. Nobody was supposed to get hurt. Victoria will kill me if she finds out what happened. I wasn't supposed to get tracked in the first place.

"Bella! Wait!" I heard somebody call from behind.

I didn't look back to see who it was. I kept running. I felt the pain on my chest rising again, this time taking its place and threatening to open up the hole I've tried to close so many times. I collapsed into the forest floor as I put my arms around myself trying to hold myself together. Why was I feeling this way now? I had so many questions I wanted to ask them. But, now was not the right time to do that. Not with all of them out there.

"Bella!"

The voice called out again. He was nearer this time. He stopped a few feet away from me. I looked up to see the big burly vampire looking down at me with worry in his eyes. He held out his hand as he slowly approached me.

"Bella… It's okay… It's me… Emmett" he said.

I snickered at him. As if he hasn't introduced himself already. He looked at me confused. I heard a shuffle from behind him and I was on a defensive crouch immediately. I've never seen them in combat before. I don't know how strong they were. I snarled on instinct. I watched with wary eyes as the two other men of their coven move forward. Carlisle had a worried look on his face and Edward's face was pained. Jasper wasn't with them. I wonder what happened. I stopped my thoughts there. Why was I worrying over somebody I didn't even know? I shook off my worries away and focused at the problem.

_Play around with them. Confuse them. Threaten them. Do whatever it takes for them not to track you down._

I heard Victoria's words playing in my head. I could do that. Maybe they would stop following me. They have to stop following me. I looked at Emmett's hand. It was still outstretched for me to take. I didn't want to do it but I had to. I slowly moved forward and put my hand on his. He was about to pull me towards him but my instinct took over.

"What the −"

I grabbed his hand with both of my hands and flipped him on his back. His back hit the forest floor. I pulled on his arm as I put one foot on his chest.

"I told you not to follow me" I said and kicked him on his side. Instinct was over powering me. The force was so strong that he hit and broke one of the trees in half. I heard him groan as he tried to sit up.

I turned to face the other two vampires. They were both looking at me wide-eyed. I decided then that I couldn't let them go without threatening them. I moved as fast as I could and hit Carlisle on the stomach. He fell down on his knees as he clutched his stomach. Before Edward even had time to react, I was behind him and I kicked him in the back. I watched him fall face down on the forest floor.

I looked at the three of them groaning in pain.

"I told you once, and I'll tell you again. Do not follow me" I said to him firmly.

The pain on my chest tugged as I watched the three of them groaning. I didn't understand why I was feeling that way. I've never felt this way before about anybody. I haven't worried about anyone before. Hell, I never even worried about myself. I shrugged the thoughts off and ran. They'll be fine. I didn't do any damage to them after all. They should be fine. They were vampires after all.

I ran until I heard the rushing sound of water flowing. The sound of the river always calms me down. It helps me think. My body tensed as I heard somebody gasping for air. I moved through the trees slowly to get a better look at the person. It was the empath.

Jasper was trying to sit himself up. After a few tries, he finally got successful. He continued to breathe heavily as if his life depended on it. He sat there quietly. I hid myself behind an oak tree. I sat down quietly and pulled my knees to my shoulder. I lowered my head in between my knees and listened. His breaths were still heavy but it was slowly getting even.

I made sure that all my emotions were intact. I felt bad for him. He must have felt all the pain in that one moment. I frowned at that thought. What was wrong with me? Why was I worrying over these vampires?

I looked back to see Jasper still sitting with his eyes closed. His breaths were getting more even now. It looked like he was meditating. I could take the pain away from him but he would get suspicious if it suddenly goes away. I don't want to hurt him anymore. He's already hurt as it is.

I could make my presence known to him. Maybe I could use this chance to ask him my questions. There was nobody around. It was just him and me. He might hesitate but I could at least try and I felt the need to take the pain away. Maybe he could clear my mind. Maybe the pain would go away if I get my answers.

It seems like the whole coven knew about me. I played the events of that afternoon over and over again in my head. They were all shocked to see me though. I guess I made a good move at making quick decisions. The psychic didn't see me coming at all. I didn't have any problems with the mind reader either. But then their looks became a mixture of pain and worry. Maybe they confused me with someone else. I was getting agitated with my own questions. I was so confused.

If he doesn't answer my questions, then it would be a wasted effort. I could always try that big burly vampire. That was, if he would forgive me for throwing him against the trees. I shuddered at the memory.

After a few hours of contemplating, I finally made a decision. I stood up quietly from my spot and took another peak at Jasper. I will ask him. I need to know. He was lying down on his back looking at the night sky. His breaths were even now and it looked like he had calmed down. I watched him as he just lied down there. I bit my lower lip as I watched his body tensed. Of course, his instinct would be able to sense me. He was the only one who ever sensed me near their house.

I stepped out of my hiding place and moved one step. A twig snapped beneath my feet and he quickly turned around. He didn't put on a defensive crouch. Instead, he observed my face. I looked down the ground and stared at my feet.

"I'm sorry" I whispered. I had to start somewhere. At least, he would know that I wasn't going to do anything. I did feel bad for him feeling my pain. I quickly remembered the tugging pain in my chest and I extended my shield to him. I took the dark light that was gathering in his chest and breathed in deeply. Jasper gasped as I felt the jabbing pain hit me in the chest. I quickly replaced it with the numbness. Then, it was gone.

Jasper looked at me startled.

"How… What…?" His questions never fully coming out.

I looked up to meet his questioning gaze. I gave him a small smile. He gave me a small smile in return.

"Bella…" he started.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer that kind of pain. I forgot for a full second that there was an empath present" I said looking away again.

He shook his head slowly.

"You seem to have forgotten that too when you were watching me and Emmett" he said knowingly.

I nodded slightly. He took one step towards me and I took a step back. I raised my right hand slightly to stop him.

"Please. Don't. It would be better if you don't come any closer" I said looking him in the eye this time.

He nodded and sighed. He didn't question why.

"I… I just…" I didn't know what to say to him in that moment. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to question him.

"You don't remember us, huh?" he asked I stood there.

"No. I don't. Everything is so confusing" I said honestly.

"Then ask me questions so you could clear your head. I could feel the confusion coming from you" he said.

I widened my eyes at the realization that I had let my guard down.

"Sorry" I said again and snapped back the shield.

"How do you keep doing that?" he asked curious.

"Do what?"

"Take the emotion away. For the past few days, I just kept getting pinches of your emotions. Most of the time, it felt like nobody was there. Right now, it doesn't feel like you're standing there at all" he said.

"Oh. I just have my shield up by nature. I learn to control my emotions because I was train‒" I stopped there. I couldn't reveal anything about myself.

"You were trained to control your emotions?" he raised an eyebrow.

Well, there was no way around it now.

"Um… Yeah… The pain you felt earlier, when I first felt it, it scared the hell out of me. I was literally convulsing in the middle of the ground for no apparent reason. I knew I had to find a way to control it. Over time, I learned how to do it. I could take it away in a fraction of a second without any problem.

"Does it happen often?"

"It used to. It always happened around this time of the year. I don't know why. Somebody told me, I must've had it when I was human and the pain was doubled when I was changed" I shrugged.

Jasper's expression changed to a pained one. He didn't look at me again. He gazed at the river in front of us.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that kind of pain" he mumbled softly.

I looked at him puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"My family knew you when you were human. In fact, we were so close you were almost part of the family. But then, I lost control when you got a small cut and I almost killed you. We left because we were a danger to you. We left because of my mistake" He paused to look at me. "Will you ever forgive me, Bella?"

It seemed like he had been carrying this burden for years. I didn't know what he was talking about and he was confusing me more. They knew me when I was human? My instincts were right. And he said I was almost part of his family. But how was that possible? A human amongst vampires? Impossible.

"I don't what to say. I mean, I don't remember anything at all from my human life. Maybe you have the wrong person. Maybe I'm not the same Bella that you're talking about" I had to make sure that I was that same person he was talking about.

He shook his head.

"You're the Bella we know. The only one. Everything about you was the same as before except for your eyes. Well, that and your clumsiness is gone" he chuckled slightly.

"How long have you been a vampire?" he asked.

"About two and a half years"

His eyes widened at my response.

"It wasn't even that long after we left" he said to himself.

I bit my lower lip as I watched him. He caught me looking at him and smiled at me again.

"Well, it seems like you still have the same habits" he gestured towards me biting my lip.

"Oh" I said and pressed my lips together.

"How was it that you said I was almost part of your family? Didn't you say that I was human back then?"

"Well…" he paused for a few seconds and then looked at me.

"You and Edward were together" he said simply.

Wait. Together?

"As in together together?"

He nodded amused at my question.

"Together together. You were both in a romantic relationship" he said firmly.

"But… Is that even possible? For a vampire and a human? I asked.

"I guess it was. You two were meant for each other. Even when you were human, Edward couldn't read your mind. Out of all the people in the world, there was one mind he couldn't read. It's destiny I guess" he shrugged again.

I tore my gaze away from him and looked forward. This was a lot to take in but it all made sense. These questions would do for now. There's still time to ask him after today. I need to put my head together so that I could get all my questions answered. I still had three days left to observe the Cullens. Three days.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Please don't kill me!! Lol. I know I've been harsh with Edward, Emmett and Carlisle. But come on, they just have to know that Bella isn't a weakling anymore... I know there would have been a better way to describe the scene but that was the best way I could put it in words. I've had that scene in my head since I wrote the Jasper's POV. Anyways, you know the drill. If you like it, let me know. If you hate it let me know. Whatever you want to say, let me know! **


	10. Strangers

**A/N: In celebration of the DVD release of Twilight, I give you another chapter! Sorry if this one took longer than usual. I couldn't think of the best way to put this chapter together.**** Thank you to all those who reviewed! 82 reviews!! I would've never thought I'd get that much reviews so thank you guys! I can't believe this is chapter 10 already!! Anyways, did you all get your copies of the movie? I was supposed to go the Hot Topic party tonight but that didn't happen since I didn't have any transportation. So instead of going, I decided to finish this chapter for you lot. ****Anyways, now its here.. Enjoy reading! Oh, yeah.. forgive my "tenses" problem!! I didn't have time to check it. **

**Please review!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. (I love writing that if you haven't noticed) I love ALL things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 10: Strangers**_

**APOV**

I rolled my eyes as I listened to Emmett recall their encounter with Bella. Again.

"She grabbed me by the hand and flipped me to my back! It was awesome!!" he exclaimed with his eyes wide open.

"I am so gonna challenge her to an arm wrestling competition next time we see her! I hope she stays!!" he continued excitedly.

Only Emmett would say something like that. I watched in amusement as Rosalie hit him at the back of his head.

"You douche! She doesn't even remember you or any of us for that matter. What do you think would make her stay?" she asked.

I didn't listen to their conversation anymore. Emmett's arguments won't make any sense anyway. My eyes wandered around the room and they rested on Jasper. He was standing by the window looking outside. He seemed to be thinking hard about something or looking at something outside the house. I tried talking to him about it but he never said anything. We never got to talk about what happened after Bella ran away.

_Still nothing, Edward? _I asked in my head.

I watched Edward shake his head slightly. For some reason, ever since Jasper returned, his mind was completely silent from Edward. Not a single thought from his mind.

"Maybe we're scaring her away, that's why she keeps on running" Emmett's voice boomed throughout the living room.

I noticed a small smile that played at the ends of Jasper's lips as he listened to Emmett talk.

"What do you know that we don't, Jasper?" I asked curious. He knew something and it was time for him to talk. I was getting tired of worrying about him. Something happened when he ran away, something that involved Bella. Everybody looked at Jasper.

"Ever since you came back, your mind had been silent. And yesterday afternoon, you went out without telling us anything. What's going on, Jasper?" Edward asked.

We all looked at Edward then Jasper. It was the first time that Edward ever said anything longer than a sentence.

The smile disappeared from his face and he looked out the window one more time before turning around to face all of us. He sighed quietly and looked at each of us. His gaze landed on Edward before he started talking.

"For the past week, I'd been getting pinches of emotions that were coming from the outside. They would usually last for a quarter of a second then it would be gone. Most of the time, it was nothing. I didn't think of it as any threat. And then two days ago, I finally found out what was causing those different emotions. We all saw who it was. Bella stood there and took all of us in one by one. When her gaze ended on Edward, I felt a stabbing pain on my chest as she continued to watch him. That's why I broke down. It was different from all the pain I'd ever experience. It was like a parasite that was starting to consume me. Then I felt all the different emotions all of you were sending me. I had to get away from all of you. It was getting hard for me to breathe so I knew what I had to do. I had to get away" he paused and looked at me.

"I'm sorry I ran away Alice. The emotions were too much for me to take and I needed space to breathe"

I nodded solemnly. I understood him.

"Maybe it's Bella's talent!" Emmett exclaimed. He was excited again. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him.

Edward snarled in his direction and he quickly shut up.

Jasper shook his head.

"No, it wasn't. If it was, then you would've felt the pain too" he said while Emmett nodded.

I wonder if he really understood that. It was too much information for his brain to process.

Edward smirked at my direction.

Jasper glared at the both of us and I looked back at him urging him to go on.

"What do you mean it wasn't? Do you know what talent she has?" Carlisle asked confused.

Jasper gaze fell to the ground.

"We talked" he said softly.

I watched Edward's eyes darken as he looked at Jasper. I felt the calming waves that Jasper was sending Edward. I think we all felt it. Edward closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"Don't even try calming me down Jasper. Just talk" Edward said through gritted teeth.

Jasper sighed and continued. According to him, Bella presented herself to him but didn't want him to go anywhere near her. They kept their distance while they talked. Most of it was him explaining our relationship with her. He got to ask her a few questions but her answers were all short. It was like she was hiding something. I wouldn't blame her for doing that. She doesn't remember us. We were strangers to her.

Edward's expression changed from an angry one to a pained look. By the time Jasper finished talking, he was facing down. Everybody was quiet and lost in their thoughts. Nobody knew what to say.

"Did… Did she say who changed her?" Edward asked softly.

Jasper shook his head.

"No. She said she doesn't remember who changed her. All she remembered was darkness. She didn't say more than that"

Edward nodded and looked outside the window where Jasper was looking out earlier.

"Is she still out there?" he asked.

"Not right now" Jasper answered.

I looked at him as realization hit me.

"You were out talking to her yesterday again, weren't you?" I asked.

He was silent for a few seconds and then he nodded.

"I just answered more of her questions. I didn't get to ask her anymore. It seems like she was avoiding it. She didn't like it when I start asking about her"

"Where is she now then?" Esme asked. Of course, my mom being a mom got worried about Bella.

"She's out hunting"

"Hunting?!" Carlisle asked alarmed.

We were all aware of Bella's diet and with her being in Forks, there were certain boundaries to be aware of.

"Don't worry, Carlisle. I told her about the area she was allowed to hunt. That was the main reason I went out yesterday. Apparently, she knew something about that. And that kind of bothered me" Jasper said.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"During my conversation with her, every now and then she would slip and say something she knew about us. Some things that she wouldn't have gotten while she was observing us. And before you ask, I don't know why she was observing us in the first place"

"Maybe she wanted to know if we were any threat to her" Emmett suggested.

Carlisle shook his head.

"That wouldn't make any sense Emmett" he said.

"Well, maybe she wanted to be part of our coven and she's observing if she's going to fit in or not" Emmett suggested. Again.

"Don't you think she would've had been here by now if she wanted to be part of this coven?" Rosalie pointed out.

Emmett shrugged.

"Let's say for arguments sake that she did want to be part of this coven, why did she have to hurt the three of you?" I asked out loud.

"She has a point" Jasper said.

"Did she say if she was part of another coven?" Emmett asked.

Everybody looked at him.

"What?! You all just said that if she wanted to be with us, she would've been here by now. But what if she's already part of another coven? Maybe they told her to come here and ask us about the hunting grounds. After all, we have a permanent residence here"

Wow. Emmett was determined to make his point. But it still didn't make any sense.

"That still doesn't make any sense Emmett. If she was just going to ask about that then why did she have to hurt three of you?" Rosalie said.

There was silence for a few minutes until Jasper spoke up.

"That's not the only thing I'm worried about"

We all looked at him puzzled.

"Remember when I said that I've been getting pinches of her emotions during the week? Well, most of the time, it felt like she wasn't there at all. She did the same thing when I was talking to her by the river. It was like she was keeping her emotions in check. I asked her about it and then she said something that I couldn't take of my mind" he paused as he looked at all of us.

"She said she was trained to do it. When she realized she said that word, she stopped abruptly and changed it" Jasper finished.

"What are you trying to say, Jasper?" Carlisle asked confused.

"Well, if she was able to hurt you and you actually felt pain, then we should be on guard. She is stronger than any of us. And Emmett did say she was fighting off newborns when he first saw her. I'm guessing whoever trained her did some serious job at training her. Bella isn't the same as before. She isn't the Bella Swan we know anymore. She's no longer a fragile human. She's a vampire"

*****

**BPOV**

I closed my eyes and listened carefully to my surroundings. I heard the wind blowing south, the leaves rustling as the wind touches them and the pitter patter of small feet against the forest floor. The sound of the river's current was faint and distant. I opened my eyes to look at my surroundings. There weren't a lot of humans wondering these areas of the woods. I looked up to see the dark clouds hovering in the sky. It looked like it was gonna rain in a couple of hours.

If I was gonna hunt, I have to get out of here. I won't be able to get anything that would satisfy me.

I ran around the area looking for someone who was lost, someone alone, someone easy to target. I let my instinct take over as I ran. A musky scent hit my nostrils and I stopped abruptly. This must be the border that the empath was talking about. I wrinkled my nose and breathed in the scent. It was nastier than I thought. The smell reminded me of a dirty wet dog. I almost gagged as I took another unnecessary breath. I better get out of here before the mongrels start coming out. I shuddered at the thought and looked around. This was all the Cullen's fault. If they didn't have any treaty with the dogs, I would be able to feast on the little town. One human wouldn't hurt. I sighed as I gave up on that thought. I can't do that. After all, I can't give them trouble just because I was thirsty. I would have to look elsewhere. I'll go back before the first rain drop falls.

I headed to the previous town where Victoria and Riley left me. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I hunt there. I don't think they would be there anyway. They were in another town doing God knows what. This one was bigger than Forks. There are more chances for people to wonder around the woods. If not, I could always go to the town and pick my unlucky prey. I hope this wasn't part of the treaty.

My lip curled back at the mere thought of feeding. I was so thirsty. I couldn't believe I haven't fed for days. It had been almost a week now since the last time I hunted. I wouldn't have noticed the burning in my throat. If Jasper didn't say that my eyes were almost black, I would've forgotten all about hunting. It was odd that my fascination with the Cullens made me forget the burning sensation in my throat. The empath did say I had a close relationship with them. I think that was the reason why I was so drawn to them. Maybe my subconscious was trying to make me remember my human life.

After with my conversation with him, I forced myself to look at my past. My human life. It was unsuccessful though. It was a complete blank. It was dark like it usually was. Jas‒ I mean the empath tried helping me remember things but that didn't work out either.

I sighed. I can't let myself get attached to them. I was supposed to just observe them and now I was talking to one of them. I won't let _her_ know about that of course. **Not. Part. Of. The Plan.** I mentally hit myself in the head. I couldn't slip up either. I almost slipped out on some instances but I managed to cover them up easily. I know _she_ wouldn't want me to reveal anything about _her_. I wonder why though. I wonder what they did to her. I remembered her expression when she was talking about them. It was almost the same whenever she would look down at me. I shook off that thought. I was looking at this way too deep. For all I know, she just doesn't want to mess with them. After all, they were a large coven.

The burn in my throat tingled reminding me of my thirst. I slowed my pace as the trees thinned out. I started to walk at human speed as I took in the different sounds and scents in the area. A pulsating beat took me off my trance. I looked to my left and sure enough there was a man walking in the distance. He was hiking by himself in the woods.

He was the perfect prey. It was time to put my act on.

The man was humming to himself as he walked towards the deeper part of the woods. After a few minutes, the melody started to become familiar to me. I started to hum quietly along with him as I walked on his other side. When he finally heard me, he stopped humming and turned to look at me. I could feel his gaze burn on me as I continued to hum his melody. I turned to look at him slowly not making any eye contact and he smiled at me.

"Now, what is a beautiful creature, like yourself, doing in this area of the woods?" he asked.

I looked at the sky and took in a deep breath then I looked back at him.

"I just needed air. It's nice to walk outside in the afternoon" I replied.

"Aren't you cold?" he gestured towards my dress and my bare feet.

I shook my head and shied away from him.

"Do you need anything?" he asked softly.

"Well…" I started slowly.

"Yes? Anything I can help you with, sweetheart?"

I looked him straight in the eye and he gasped. He was frozen in his spot as I moved closer to him.

"I am… thirsty" I replied.

I held his gaze as I continued to walk towards him. When his senses finally kicked in, he turned around and started to run. I was in front of him in an instant.

"Oh… Don't be like that" I said in a disappointed tone.

I patted him on the chest as he started to walk backwards. His heartbeat quickened as I continued my movements. His back hit the tree and he looked at me terrified.

"Why are you running away from me?" I asked almost disappointed.

He shook his head violently.

"Don't worry…" I started.

"I'll make it quick" I whispered in his ear.

I craned his neck in the angle that would give me the most access. I rubbed my nose against his skin. His blood was calling me.

"Hmm…. You smell so good" I said softly.

My tongue touched his skin and I felt the venom pool in my mouth. I groaned in anticipation as I licked the pulsating vein.

"I promise to finish as quick as I can" I said and looked him in the eye.

"You better" a familiar voice said behind me.

I turned around to see Riley perched in one of the trees. I groaned in annoyance as I looked at him.

"Ri‒"

"Go feed. You need it" he motioned for me to continue what I was doing.

I turned to face my victim and didn't hesitate anymore. I let my instinct take over as I devoured my prey. My teeth sunk unto the soft skin of the human and blood started to fill me. The taste of blood on my tongue was enough to make me moan in pleasure. I could feel it coursing through me as it filled me up. The sweet taste of blood was enough to satisfy me for now. But all good things must come to an end. The human stopped squirming and in a few minutes, I was able to suck him dry. I dropped the body to the ground and I licked off the remaining blood that trickled down my hand.

"Was that enough for you? Or do you want another one?" Riley smirked.

I looked up to see him on the same position as I had seen him a few minutes earlier.

"If another stray comes, then yes" I said.

I couldn't take the sweet taste of blood away from my mind. It had been too long.

Riley nodded and got down from his position. He motioned for me to stay and ran towards another direction. I stood there for a few minutes and then I suddenly heard two pulses and some irregular breathing from the distance. He threw two humans my way. It was a guy and a girl. They hit the ground with so much force that they weren't able to stand up.

"Enjoy"

It was the last thing I heard from him while my instincts took over. I consumed the two humans in a matter of minutes.

As I stood up and licked my lips, I heard Riley walk towards me. I turned to face him and he stood there in front of me. His face was full of concern. His hand caressed my left cheek and I leaned on his touch.

"Why haven't you been feeding?" he asked softly.

I looked at him and felt ashamed of myself. How could I betray the only person who truly cared for me? I couldn't let him know about my interactions with the Cullens. _She _would know eventually. I had to be as convincing as I could.

"I had been too occupied with the Cullens" I replied at the same level as his voice.

"Did they track you down?" he asked suddenly alert.

I shook my head slowly.

"I'd been watching them individually. I had to make sure my emotions were in check every time I go near their house. The empath senses me from time to time" I explained. It was the truth. Jasper was the only who got suspicious of me.

"No problems though, right?" he asked.

"No. No problems" I said and looked him in the eye.

There were days that I question Riley's concern for me. Most of the time, he would be on Victoria's side and wouldn't say anything to defend me. Everytime it was just the two of us, he would look at me like I was the most important thing in the world.

"Okay… Good… Victoria wants you to stay a bit longer" he said.

"Longer?" I asked almost excited. I changed it quickly and tried looking confused at him.

Riley raised an eyebrow at me but brushed it off.

"Yes. Five days to be exact. But then she wants a full report afterwards" he said.

I nodded. Five more days with the Cullens. It was enough time for me to get to know them a bit more. After all, they were a part of my human life.

Riley and I talked for awhile as he gave me an update to what they were doing in the other town. Apparently, there were more newborns to be taken care of so they were dealing with them. I was going to question why I wasn't the one getting rid of the newborns when they should be the one observing but decided against it. I knew Victoria had a reason behind it. Now that I think about it, I was the only one who could do it without getting caught. The mind reader couldn't read my mind. The psychic wouldn't be able to see my future because I'm not making any decisions. Then, there was the empath. I was good at controlling my emotions. _Was_ good. I wasn't good at it anymore. After all, he did find out about me.

After an hour, we went our own ways. I went back to Forks, back to the Cullen's residence. Jasper knew about me hunting but I didn't tell him what time I would be back. I was sure he would be able to sense me though. I didn't guard my emotions as much anymore. It was no use anyway. He would still know.

As I settled on one of the trees near the house, I felt a rain drop fall on my shoulder. I looked up to see the dark clouds getting darker. They were moving faster than earlier and raindrops were starting to fall. I groaned in frustration as I realized I would be sitting out there in the rain. My dress was already ruined and it was going to get worse. I decided to get a new one on my next hunt. My next victim would have to be stripped off her clothes. Of course, I had to choose my prey carefully. Like I usually do when I was in a city.

I heard the front door of the house open and I looked down to see the psychic smiling at me.

"Hi Bella" she greeted.

Of course the empath told them about me. How stupid could I get?

"The rain's going to get worse for a few hours. Would you like to come in?" she asked.

I looked up at the sky again and saw darker clouds moving in. She was right of course. She was a psychic after all. I hesitated. I couldn't go inside their house. They would bombard me with questions about… me. I can't let that happen.

The door opened again and this time her mate stood there beside her.

"Don't worry. We won't hassle you with questions. We just want you to be comfortable" Jasper said as he tried to send me calming waves.

I hesitated again. I didn't know if I could trust him or his coven. After all, they were talking about me behind my back.

Rain started to fall down and it was getting heavier by the second. I groaned as I gave up.

The psychic's smile grew wider as she clapped her hands. She opened the door and motioned for me to come in.

I could do this. I could handle myself. I could make them believe I was the Bella they knew.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Just to make things clear, I'm sad to say that the wolves won't be in this story. Not even Jacob. He will be mentioned but he won't be making any appearance (unless you would want this story longer then we could fix that!) Anyways, I'm excited about the next chapter. I'm sure a lot of you who are looking for some Edward and Bella time, well, I will be giving it to you. I have more time to write this week since I'm going to be on spring break! So yeah, instead of me going somewhere nice, I have decided to write more chapters for this story. I'm getting inspiration anyway! **

**So anyways, like I always say, comments, suggestions, questions, reviews are all welcome!  
**


	11. Not Part Of The Plan

**A/N: Here's the awaited chapter. I just finished writing it so there might be edits later. Anyways, let me know if you see something off. I won't write a long note this time so you could go enjoy reading this. A huge thank you to all those reviewed! 101 reviews!! You guys are the best! And now, I give you Edward and Bella. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

_**Chapter 11: Not. Part. Of. The. Plan.**_

**EPOV**

A few minutes into Emmett's mind was probably the worst idea ever. In his head, he had already thought of a million possibilities on what could've happened to Bella. At the moment, he was talking about how Bella was probably a hired assassin who wanted to get rid of newborns. It was completely senseless since vampires don't really care about newborns. And vampires were actually assassins since they hunt people. According to him, it was her instinct that had hurt the three of us.

_Wow. I didn't know Emmett could be so creative. I don't know why everybody was so uptight with this. If she wants to come here, she would. They should just leave her alone._

_Oh I can't believe this. Poor Bella. All alone out there._

_That could be possible but then there were a lot of possibilities. We have to communicate with her to know what really happened. _

_I can't believe we're actually listening to Emmett. That Xbox hitting him on his head would be hilarious, though. Hmmm… Are you listening to me Edward?_

I shook my head at Alice. As much as I find Emmett's childish fits entertaining, now wasn't really a good time. I tuned out the different thoughts of my family. Minus one, of course. Jasper's mind was still silent. I wanted to be angry at him but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He didn't even know how it happened. It all started when he came back from the river. Alice didn't see Bella with him so we were all clueless until today.

I watched Jasper as he stood by the window again. I assume he was waiting for Bella to come. For some reason, Alice couldn't see Bella's future. It was odd. She used to be able to see Bella's future with no problem before so how come she couldn't see it now?

There were a lot of odd things about Bella now but I know somewhere deep inside of her, the Bella I knew was still there. She was probably just confused about everything that was why she kept her distance and why she hurt us.

I wouldn't forget the look on her face as we both looked at each other. She looked like a completely different person when she gazed at me even though her physical appearance was the same. When she ran away from us, the first thing I did was run after her. I had to. I had to get her back. Explain even though she was totally clueless maybe she would remember. Yes, our human memories were a blur to us all but we remember bits and pieces of it and we hold on to it for as long as we can. It was what makes us who we were.

She was so angry when we followed her. She even beat the three of us down. I had never felt that kind of pain before from another vampire. It was excruciating for a few minutes then it slowly went away. It was like we were human again and we were bruising up. I rubbed the spot on my back where she kicked me. It was strange to think that the once vulnerable human I loved so much could now cause me physical pain.

I shuddered at the thought.

I had to stop thinking about that and concentrate on how I could talk to Bella without her running away. Maybe she would remember.

I sighed.

Maybe.

So what if she remembers? She would probably hate me even more.

_Someone's very satisfied._

My head shot up as the voice entered my head. I looked at Jasper who was looking out the window again. I frowned in his direction. I could hear him again?

_Well, here she comes. I hope she wouldn't get− Wait. Why was Edward looking at me like that? Can you hear me?_

I stood up from my seat and nodded.

_How strange… Maybe it has something to do with Bella's gift._

I was about to answer him when Alice suddenly gasped. She had a vision that was blurry but I could still make out some of it. There was a girl with a very torn up dress. She was following this other girl into a dark alley. She cornered her and held her against the wall. She tilted the girl's head to the side and she leaned in and then −

Alice snapped out of the vision and looked at me wide-eyed.

_Stay here, Edward._ She demanded in her head.

I nodded at her confused and sat down on the couch again. What was that?

Alice stood up from her seat and went to the front door. We all looked at her confused.

"Hi Bella" she greeted.

My body stiffened as I realized what just happened. It was Bella in her vision. Bella was the one hunting the girl down. What the hell was Alice doing? She knew Bella would run away again if she made contact with us. She would just be scaring her away again. I wouldn't get the chance to talk to her. I clenched my fist as I realized what Alice was up to.

_Easy, Edward. Don't jump into conclusions. _Jasper said.

"The rain's going to get worse for a few hours. Would you like to come in?" I heard Alice ask.

_Let me handle this. Edward, tell everyone that they need to keep their distance from Bella if they want her to come in. Tell them not to ask questions or do anything that would confuse her. _

I nodded in his direction and watched him walk towards the front door as well. As soon as he got out, I told the rest what he just told me. All I got were pitiful looks from them.

"Don't worry. We won't hassle you with questions. We just want you to be comfortable" I heard Jasper say to her.

There was silence for a few minutes and then there was a shuffle. Alice clapped her hands and opened the door.

I suddenly felt nervous. Would she stay this time? Or would she run away again? Alice said that the rain wouldn't stop until tomorrow evening. Would she stay until then? Would we even get the chance to talk to her. Jasper did say not to ask her questions. I felt calming waves through my whole body.

_It's only Bella, Edward. Let her talk first before you start talking. She'll get round to it. _Jasper said in his head.

I held my breath as Alice and Jasper entered the house. They both gave us a look to go back to what we were previously doing. I tried to move from my spot but was too nervous to do so. I heard Emmett's game turn back on, and Rosalie flipping pages in her magazine. Carlisle and Esme sat on the love seat while they watched Emmett's game. Jasper took his seat beside Emmett and took the other controller.

_She won't go inside if you stand there gawking at the door. You'll scare her away. I've seen it_. Alice thought as she passed me. She took a seat beside Rosalie and took another magazine. She tapped her forefinger in her head and gave me a look.

I sighed and walked towards where my piano was placed. I haven't played in a while. Maybe it was time to play again. It would ease me up.

I sat on the bench and opened up the cover. I played with a few notes first to see if it was still in tune. As I sat there playing with some of the keys, I heard the front door close and a deep breath.

I took a deep breath on my own and started to play.

She was here. My Bella was home.

**BPOV**

Oh god. What have I gotten myself into?! I groaned internally as I took a step towards the front door.

The rain was starting to get heavier by the minute. Usually, I didn't mind standing out in the rain but for some reason, my instincts were telling me to follow the pixie. She was psychic after all.

I stopped at the front door. I could see all them going about their own business. So, the empath told them to keep their distance. Good. This would be easier for me. I took a deep breath and closed the door behind me.

Nobody looked up from where they were sat. It seemed like they were all concentrating on the game that was on the television. I could see Emmett and Jasper playing and the rest were in the couch watching the two of them. There was one person missing though but I could hear somebody tinkering with the keys of the piano. So, the mind reader decided to get out of his solitary confinement and join the rest of the coven.

Interesting.

He still isolated himself from the rest of the coven though. I shook the thoughts away from my head. It doesn't matter though because I really don't care with what they do. At least, that was what I was trying to tell myself.

I still didn't move from the spot where I was at when I stepped in the house. I probably looked like an idiot who was gawking at the house. The Cullen's house was bigger inside than it was outside. After all, I didn't see the inside of the house even though I got a good view of each room from out there. It was huge and very modern. It was very… homely.

For a fraction of a second, I felt like I belonged there. It made me feel complete. There was no gaping hole, no unexplained pain. It was just pure satisfaction and contentment. It felt like I was home.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper's lips twitch into a small smile.

Ugh. Stupid empath. This was all his doing.

I swallowed and pushed the emotions away. It doesn't matter. I was only staying here for a few hours. I will be out of here as soon as the last drop falls down. There was no way I could stay here longer than that. It would probably drive me up the walls.

I decided to move from my spot and actually move. I was in _their_ house, I might as well look around. They did invite me inside their house. I haven't been inside a house this big before. Well, not since I was changed. I was probably in this house a lot if I had a close relationship with… Edward. I still didn't believe Jasper when he said that the mind reader and I had a romantic relationship. It was just impossible. Vampires and humans were like… taboo for instance. The only relationship that vampires and humans could have would be predator and prey. Now, that would be explainable since vampires feed on humans.

I still had a lot of questions for them but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't want to get too close. I almost slipped earlier when Riley inquired about my current assignment. I was too eager to stay with them for five more days. I did kick myself for being so stupid.

I took the spot by the window where I could see the outside clearly. It was getting darker outside and the rain looked like it wasn't going to stop in a few hours. I might end up spending the night inside. I gulped at the thought. I should just stay on this spot and look outside. This way, I won't be able to disturb any of them.

I did a quick peek on what they were doing. They were still watching the game that Emmett and Jasper were playing. What could be so interesting about that? It was just a screen with characters you could control and then kill each other. There was really no point in it. But I guess since they were putting up a show that they were humans, they do human activities as well.

I focused my attention back to the outside. I reminded myself not to get too attached to them. I was already fascinated by their way of living I should stop at that. After all, curiosity killed the cat.

Edward was playing a full song now. The complicated melodies slowly blended into a beautiful harmony. Each movement moved in smoothly to the next. I haven't heard anything so beautiful before. I closed my eyes and listened to him play. I wanted to go there and see for myself the way he played. I stopped myself. Being inside the house was enough. I was in enough trouble as it was. I took a deep breath and felt calming waves relax my entire body. I gave a small smile grateful for the help.

Argh… What was wrong with me? I'm getting too attached. I should stop it. I should‒

"Hey Bella!"

My eyes shot open and I turned around to see the burly vampire smiling at me. The piano stopped abruptly and I could feel the uneasiness in the room. Emmett didn't seem to notice it and continued to smile at me.

"Do you wanna play? Jasper's getting pretty boring since I know his tactics already. I need a new cha‒" he was cut off by Alice hitting him with a magazine.

I looked at the both of them uneasily.

"What? I was just being nice. No one even said hello or welcome to our home. It's rude, you know" he said as a matter of fact.

There were a few minutes of silence. I didn't really know what to do. I looked outside and the rain seemed to get heavier than earlier. Someone clearing their throat caught my attention.

I turned around to see Carlisle standing up from his seat. Everybody else followed him and looked at me. He took a few steps towards me. When I felt he was getting too near, I backed away one step. He stopped when he realized he was too close for my liking.

"My apologies, Bella. Emmett's right. We were being rude" he said in a gentle voice.

I shook my head and looked down to the floor.

"You weren't. I should be the one apologizing. I hurt you but you still let me in your house. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just‒"

"It's okay Bella. We understand. Your instincts tell you that we weren't to be trusted at the time" Emmett said.

Well, at least I didn't have to make stuff up. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie all glared at him but he didn't seem to notice.

I looked up to see him grinning at me. I gave him a small smile. It was hard not to. It was contagious.

"So, do you want to play? We could kick Jasper out if you want or you could do it" he offered.

"Hey!" Jasper exclaimed and hit Emmett.

I tried to stifle a giggle but failed.

Carlisle shook his head then smiled.

"Welcome to our home, Bella" he said.

*****

**EPOV**

After Carlisle welcomed Bella into our house, Jasper said that she loosened up a bit. Carlisle introduced everybody, including me but I stayed where my piano was because I didn't know how I would react if I see her again. Well, what really troubled me was how she would react if she sees me again. After all, it was only when she saw me that she had run away the last time. I don't want that to happen again. If this was as close as I could get Bella to stay, then so be it.

_You're being irrational, Edward. _

I shook my head at Alice's thought. Of course, she would know. Psychic pixie. I went back to playing the piano. It would all come in good time. Right now, I would let Bella be comfortable around my family. I wasn't the only one who missed her after all.

_If you were here with us in the living room, you would know what I'm talking about. _Alice continued to taunt me.

"Bella, do you want to change into something more comfortable? The dress you have is torn on the side. I could fix it for you, if you want" I heard Alice ask.

"No, it's okay. I was going to fix it next time I go to the city" Bella replied.

So, that was why she was hunting down a girl. She wasn't just after her blood. She was after her dress as well.

I should've felt disgusted by what she said instead I felt like I was being hypnotized by her voice. It was so beautiful. It was probably the most beautiful melody I've ever heard. This was the first time that I heard her talking without the angry tone. Even then, her voice was melodic. Alice's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, don't be silly. I could fix it for you now. Stay here while I get something for you" Alice said and dashed through the stairs towards her bedroom.

Leave it to Alice to worry about Bella's outfit.

After a few seconds, Alice ran out of her bedroom down the stairs.

"Here. Wear this and I'll fix your dress. I'll wash it and dry it as well so that tomorrow, your dress would be nice and clean" I could practically see Alice beaming at Bella.

"You really don't have to… I'm fine like this… I won't get sick or anything. So please don't worry about me" Bella tried convincing Alice.

_Edward, come here now and get Bella out of this situation. She's going to run away if Alice keeps on insisting. She's not liking it. _Jasper thought.

I stood up from my seat and walked towards the living room. Alice was shoving the pair of sweatpants and sweater to Bella while Bella was shaking her head furiously.

"Alice. Stop. If she doesn't want to, she doesn't want to" I said.

They both turned around to look at me. Bella gave me a grateful look while Alice looked at me annoyed.

"But Edward! Her dress is all messed up! And its _Dior_!" she exclaimed.

Ah. That would explain why Alice was so keen on washing it for her. If I didn't know her better, she would be having the same dress be delivered over night. Brand new.

"Leave her be" I said.

Alice pouted at me but I just shook my head. I knew her schemes already and shook my head again. She huffed and marched up the stairs.

"And that's my signal to go" Jasper said and stood up from his seat to follow Alice.

"I don't know about you dude, but I feel kinda tired" Jasper said and gave Emmett a look.

_Sorry, Edward. But I know you'll be grateful for this._

I looked at him confused.

When Emmett didn't move, he hit him on the shoulder. Rosalie, who was getting the signal that Jasper was sending Emmett, touched Emmett on the shoulder.

"Babe, I need help with something on the garage. You think you could help me?" she practically purred.

Emmett being Emmett immediately responded.

"Of course" And the three of them went their own ways.

Carlisle stood up as well muttering something about finishing some reports and Esme followed. I was left there with Bella. Just the two of us. Alone.

This was going to be a long night.

*****

We probably stood there in silence for a good ten minutes. Neither of us knowing what to say to each other. Every time I opened my mouth to say something, nothing came out. I probably looked like a gold fish. Bella, on the other hand, kept looking outside, then to the floor and then towards me. And then she would do it again.

_Jeez dude. Say something already. You're killing everybody here with the suspense._ Emmett exclaimed in his head.

I shook my head in disbelief. Of course, they would _all_ be listening. Bella looked at me amused.

"What?" I asked her.

She raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"They're all taunting you, huh?" she asked.

"You have no idea" I said and gave her a small smile.

"I have to apologize for Alice's behavior. She's just really worried about your clothes" I started to say.

"Oh… That's alright… I guess" she shrugged and turned to look out the window again.

I put my hands in my pockets as I tried to look at anything but her. It didn't work. My gaze landed on her figure by the window. I watched as she just stared outside. I noticed her biting her lip as if she was hesitating about something. Some things never change.

"What are you thinking of?" I asked softly.

She turned around to face me but looked down the ground.

"Well… I was just curious…" she hesitated again.

After a few seconds, she sighed and looked at me straight in the eye. I almost gasped as I looked into her eyes. It was the brightest shade of crimson red I had ever seen. Jasper was right. She was very satisfied. I wonder if she would ever consider our lifestyle. Her voice broke my trance.

"Jasper said that you and I had a close relationship when I was human… Is it true?" she asked her voice getting softer.

"Yes" I said just as soft as she did.

"This must be freaking you a lot, huh?" I smiled at her again.

"You have no idea" she said returning my smile.

It was awkward but at the same time great. It was like I was getting to know Bella all over again. There was something different about her. She hesitates a lot. It was like she was having some internal battle of some sort. I thought I would be able to hear her thoughts now that she was a vampire, but of course it still didn't happen. If I did hear her thoughts, then I would've probably known the moment she stepped into our area. This made me more curious.

"I'm kind of disappointed that I still don't hear your thoughts" I admitted to her.

"So, you never heard my thoughts even when I was human?"

"No. Your mind is still silent as ever" I replied.

"Jasper did say something about that" she mumbled.

There was another moment of silence between the two of us. We were both starting to feel uneasy but then I felt calming waves soothe me. I looked up to the ceiling grateful for Jasper's help. I was a nervous wreck just standing there with Bella.

"He's something else, isn't he? He knows when to calm people" Bella pointed out.

"Yeah… He's helpful at times… Unless he wants to annoy you, then that would be another story" I said.

She nodded and looked outside again. It was frustrating that I couldn't hear what she was thinking of.

"That song, you were playing earlier… It was beautiful… Did you write it?" she asked.

She was thinking about that?

"Oh… No… That was Debussy's work… I haven't played in a while so I thought of just playing something I know"

"Hmm… It was beautiful" she commented.

"Thank you"

"Would it be too much to ask if I ask you to play it again?" she asked shyly.

I smiled at her.

"No. It would be my pleasure"

*****

**BPOV**

Ugh. I can't believe I was turning into a softie. I couldn't help myself though. He kept smiling that crooked smile of his and I'm just… dazzled. His mere presence was enough to knock the air out of me but I had to restrain myself. I had to be in control. I couldn't let myself fall for him. Did I just say fall for him? What was wrong with me? His family was just my assignment. **My assignment**. I reminded myself. I wanted to pull at my hair in frustration but stopped myself. I would look like an idiot. Oh god. They were just another job. **Just. Another. Job.** After this, I would be moving to another town killing newborns again. I think I would rather kill those newborns now rather than stay with him. He just… dazzles me. And I think he knows he's good at it too.

**Not. Part. Of. The. Plan.**

I followed him into the room where the piano was. It was right next to the living room. He sat on the piano bench and motioned for me to sit beside him. I shook my head and stood a few feet away from him. With his back facing me, it would be easier for me to think. I think.

"Do you write music?" I asked. It was a stupid question but hey I believe there were players who just played what they know and can't compose a simple tune.

"Yes" he replied and then started to play.

His fingers moved smoothly against the ivory keys. The room was filled with the beautiful music he was playing. It started out slow with a simple melody then it moved slowly to a complex harmony. It was strikingly beautiful.

I listened in silence as I let the music fill me. I closed my eyes and I could feel each hit of the key tugging at my every nerve. It felt like it was telling me something. This song sounded familiar but at the same time brand new. It was like it was part of a shaded memory.

Memory.

I gasped and everything stopped. I felt I was being pulled back to a shady part of my past. It was blurry and dark but I could make out figures and the piano. It was the exact same piano that Edward has. Then I heard voices.

_"I'd like to hear you play," I volunteered._

_"It's settled then." Esme pushed him toward the piano. He pulled me along, sitting me on the bench besidehim._

_He gave me a long, exasperated look before he turned to the keys._

_And then his fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with a composition so complex, so luxuriant, it was impossible to believe only one set of hands played. I felt my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment, and heard low chuckles behind me at my reaction._

_Edward looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break, and winked. "Do you like it?"_

_"You wrote this?" I gasped, understanding._

_He nodded. "It's Esme's favorite."_

_I closed my eyes, shaking my head._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I'm feeling extremely insignificant."_

_The music slowed, transforming into something softer, and to my surprise I detected the melody of his lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes._

_"You inspired this one," he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet._

I opened my eyes to see Edward right in front of me. His face full of concern.

"Bella, are you alright?" he asked. I could see he was struggling not to hold out his arms towards me.

I breathed in and out deeply for a few seconds then nodded.

"What happened?" I asked.

He brought his hand up to his untidy bronze-colored hair and looked at me again.

"Well, you gasped and then for a few seconds you were like dazed or something. It was like you weren't here at all. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again.

"Yes…" I drifted off and thought back to the blurry memory. My eyes widened in recognition of the song he was just playing. I looked up at him to see his face still filled with concern.

"That was my lullaby, wasn't it?"

His face was shocked as he realized what just happened.

"You remember that?" he asked.

"I just had a flashback. I think. It was dark and blurry but I could make out the shape of your piano. And you. We were both sitting on the piano bench while you were playing Esme's favorite then it slowly moved to my lullaby" I explained.

I was confused myself. Was it really a flashback?

His eyes widened as he listened to my explanation.

"That was the first time I brought you to this house" he said.

So, it was a flashback. It seemed like being around the Cullens was triggering my memory. Especially, Edward. But the pain… I don't understand. Where did the pain come from? I looked around the room and noticed one huge difference between the room now and the one from my flashback.

"Edward"

"Yes?"

"Was this the same house that you had when I was human?"

I noticed his body stiffened slightly at my question but looked confused at the same time.

"Yes… Why?" he asked.

"In the memory, there was no wall dividing this room from the outside. It was wide open. What happened?"

He looked gobsmacked as I talked. Something happened and I wanted to know. If we were together before, how come I was changed into a vampire without their knowledge?

"You know what. Start from the beginning" I said.

"The beginning?" he asked.

"Yes. From the very beginning. How I met you, what happened, and why you didn't know about me being changed into a vampire" I said.

I didn't want to go beating around the bush anymore. It was getting me frustrated. If anyone would know what happened, it would him. I looked at him to start talking. He sighed deeply and motioned for me to go sit at the piano bench. I obliged as I watched him pace back and forth.

"About four years ago, you moved from Phoenix to Forks…" he started.

*****

**Riley POV**

I watched Bella go back to the direction of Forks. It was odd that she forgot all about hunting when it was the first thing she would always ask for whenever we go to a new town. She enjoyed hunting more than doing her job. I noticed how she finished those three humans in just minutes. I could tell she was really thirsty. It was strange that Victoria knew that Bella wouldn't be feeding like she normally would.

I ran back to the spot where Victoria told me to meet her.

"Well? Did you find her?" she asked.

"Yes" I replied.

"Did you tell her?" she asked again.

I nodded.

"She seemed a bit excited about the fact that she was staying there for a few more days" I said.

A devious smile escaped her lips.

"Perfect" I heard her mumble.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Yeah.. I just had to add Riley's POV in the end.. hahaha it's sort of a preview for the next chapter i guess... Anyways, please review!! Thank you!!**


	12. Thoughts

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I had a midterm, 2 papers and a presentation for the past 2 week so I'd been busy. And my hand is bothering me again so I can't type as much. (I think I have Carpal Tunnel.. Ugh... It hurts...) Anyways, here's the update. It's not much but I hope it's enough for now. My midterms are done so hopefully I get to update again soon. Thank you again for those who reviewed. I really appreciate you guys. Hands down you guys are the best!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight  
**

**_Chapter 12: Thoughts_**

**BPOV**

It was already morning by the time the heavy rain settled to a soft drizzle. I was still in the Cullen household when the darkened sky started to lighten up. It was hard to believe that I had a relationship with him. I was hoping that it would trigger something in my brain and get flashbacks like the past week but it nothing happened. It was like listening to a story. Just a story. I didn't feel any connection to it in any way.

Edward mentioned how we met in school and how he wanted to kill me on the first day. He continued on to the first time we talked, the almost accident, Port Angeles, how I told him I knew what he was, meeting his family for the first time and he continued on. But they were just words to me. They didn't mean anything.

I didn't hear the rest of his story though. Everything stopped the moment he said Victoria's name. I didn't hear anything else. I didn't know if he even realized that I stopped listening to him. All my senses stopped functioning. In fact, it seemed like time froze and everything just stopped but my mind. It kept on working. Trying to figure things out.

Was it possible that the Victoria he mentioned was the same Victoria I know? But that's impossible. It can't be her. If it was, she would've told me that she knew me, right? I mean, why keep things away from me? It wasn't as if I was going to turn away from her if she told me she knew me when I was human. It would probably make me stay on her side and not question her motives. Her motives. I don't understand her motives. Could it be possible that Victoria wants something from the Cullens that she would send me here to spy on them? Wouldn't she have done something about it already? But then, it could be another Victoria. Edward said that she was with some vampires called James and Laurent. I don't know anyone named James or Laurent.

"Bella… Bella!" Edward shook me.

I looked up at him to see his worried face.

"Are you alright? I've been getting your attention for the past ten minutes and you weren't answering me back" he said with a worried tone.

I closed my eyes and shook the thoughts away. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Sorry. My mind was just going over everything you said"

"I thought you were having another flashback" he paused. "Did you?"

I shook my head and looked away.

"I have to go. I'm sorry" I said and stood up. "I have to think"

I walked towards the door and stopped midway to turn around to him.

"Thank you for letting me stay inside" I said softly.

He nodded and looked up. His face was pained as if somebody just punched him in the stomach but he quickly put it away and gave me a small smile.

"You're welcome"

**EPOV**

I watched Bella's retrieving back head towards the door and after a few seconds the front door opened and closed softly. I sat on the rise of the floor and put my head in my hands. I wanted to hit something but if I do that I knew I would regret it later.

I knew I should've taken it slowly. I shouldn't have told her everything at once. How could I've been stupid? I knew I was going to scare her away with the story but I still continued. I let the selfish side of me continue and tell her what happened to her. She doesn't even want to believe that we had a relationship. How could she believe the story I just told her? It probably confused her even more. It probably just sounded like a story to her. Not her past but just a story.

_Stop torturing yourself, Edward. She's just confused. Let her think it over and give her time._

I sighed. Alice was right. I would give Bella all the time in the world to think things over.

_That was odd. I wonder why she shielded herself again. _Jasper thought.

Shield? What was Jasper talking about? As if reading my thoughts, Jasper answered.

_Halfway through your story, I felt Bella take back her emotions and I haven't felt anything coming from her since then. It felt like she wasn't there with you at all. I don't even feel her outside right now. Something you said made her all defensive. I don't know if she was aware of it or if it was instinct but it was strange. _

Something I said? But what did I say to make her defensive? I thought of the expression on her face as she listened to my story. Her face was confused but at the same time she looked eager to know about her past. That was something to be expected though with somebody who has no idea about their past. I know Alice would be eager to listen to the story of her past. But then Alice was always … eager.

I peered through the window to see if Bella was there but I didn't see any sign of her. If only I could read her thoughts then maybe I would at least know she was still in the area. I sighed again. It doesn't matter. I don't even know why I was thinking about that. I should just leave Bella alone for now and let her think things over. All your memories being told in a story could be disorienting.

I closed the lid of my piano and closed the door. I made my way to the stairs and slowly climbed to the third floor to my bedroom. Once there, I closed the door behind me and walked towards my CD player. I pushed play on the player and lied down on my couch. Classical music filled the room and I closed my eyes.

Good things come in time.

**BPOV**

I went back to the same tree where I stayed when I was watching the Cullens. Everything was still dripping wet but at least the rain stopped. I perched myself on the largest branch of the tree and pulled my knees towards my chest. I wrapped my arms around it and put my chin on top of my knees. I had a perfect view of the house but they wouldn't be able to see where I was sat.

Everything was confusing. I didn't know if I should believe Edward or not. It seemed too impossible but at the same time possible that everything he said was actually true. I wouldn't forget the pained look he had on his face when I told him I had to get out of the house. I just had to. It felt like I was being suffocated in there. I know they weren't forcing me to remember but I needed time to think. If he said that he knew me, then he would know that I needed time to think it over. I wonder what they were all thinking right now. I wonder what they thought of my sudden departure.

I let my mind wander back to our conversation. It was small talk but it was comfortable. I didn't feel any uneasiness. In fact, I felt like I belonged there with them. Then, there was the flashback when Edward was playing. It felt so real.

At that same moment, something clicked on my head. The flashback on the dark alley, it actually happened. Now I know why. Edward mentioned something about some men threatening me in Port Angeles. It made perfect sense. It fit his story exactly. Of course, he was telling the truth. Why would he lie? He was being sincere about everything he said.

I felt a slight tugging on my chest as I thought of the pained look on Edward's face when I left. I had the sudden urge to go back inside and tell him I believed every single thing he just said. That I would stay with him and never go back to Victoria. I swallowed and pushed back the urge. I was being ridiculous. I could never turn my back on _her_. She was the one who taught me everything. She made me into who I was right now.

_Yes. A killer. A monster. What would Edward think of that? Do you really think he would take you back?_

I shook the thought out of my head. But it continued to linger. It was true. I was a monster. I kill humans, I kill newborns, and I kill my own kind. How could they accept me if I was a killing machine? How would Edward feel about it? I felt ashamed of myself as I thought over the past years. All I knew was to kill and to follow orders like my life depended on it. What if I changed that? What if I try and follow the Cullens? Would they accept me then? Would I be good enough for Edward? Would I get to be the same person I was when I was human?

I spent the whole day trying to bring back memories but I wasn't having any luck. It was the same as it was before but this time I had the memory from Port Angeles and my first visit in the Cullen house. Everything else was still blank. I was hoping that going back to Edward's story would trigger some flashbacks. Then it occurred to me that I only get the flashback when I was on the same situation as the story. For some reason, that triggered my memory. Maybe I could ask Edward to bring me to some of the places that he mentioned. Maybe then I could get most of my memory back.

I shook my head at the ridiculous idea. I was human back then so that means that most of the places would be around humans. Not such a good idea for me. I could control myself around humans but I'm not around them all the time. I could lose control any moment. I gave up that idea and looked over the house again.

At least none of them were bothering me about what happened. I still had four days left with them. I wonder what would happen then. My eyes lingered on the third floor. I could hear the soft music playing from Edward's room. I smiled softly as I thought of the crooked smile he gave me. I wonder if he gave me the same smile before. I felt an unfamiliar yet familiar knot on my stomach.

Stop it. I told myself as I pushed the feeling away. I tore my gaze away from his room and concentrated on the leaf that was about to fall. I can't have any feelings for him. It wasn't right. He wouldn't want me back. Although there was some sort of longing on his face, I know he would recoil away from me if he found out what kind of monster I was. The whole family wouldn't want me with them. They had a reputation they had to keep up with. They were the most human I had ever met who were vampires. They still hold on to their humanity up to this day. I won't be good enough for them. I would just ruin their reputation. I would end up revealing what they were to the humans and they would hate me.

A familiar pain tugged on my chest. They would hate me if I ruin things for them. I can't be part of their coven. And I never would be. I was too much of a monster inside. I thought to myself as I watch the leaf fall down to the ground.

**APOV**

I was getting a headache from the different visions I was getting from Bella. None of them ever settled and everything flashed so fast I don't even know what it was about. After Bella left the house, I tried focusing on her but was having no luck. I did that for the whole day and I was finally successful after a few hours but she was just making my head hurt. No wonder I wasn't getting anything from her this past week.

"Stop focusing on her" a southern accent took me out of my thoughts.

I turned around to see Jasper looking at me concerned. I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. I breathed in his scent and I felt calming waves soothe me. I looked up to him and smiled.

"It seems like she couldn't make up her mind. Too many flashes of things I don't even understand"

"Well, she probably doesn't understand either" he said softly as he wrapped his arms around me.

"She's probably so confused about everything Edward told her. Wouldn't you be disoriented if your human life was told like that?"

"At least, she's lucky enough to have somebody tell her of her human life" I muttered.

I was still in the dark when it comes to my human life but I never really bothered about it. The past was the past. There was really no point in thinking it over. It would be great if somebody did tell me about it and it might be disorienting but I wouldn't want to linger over it. I would let go of it. My past didn't matter to me anymore. I am who I am today. I won't let my past change anything about me. Not that there was anything wrong with the Bella now but should she really think it over too much? It had been hours since she left the house. There were a lot of different things about Bella now but I know we would get use to it. After all, she was still Bella.

Jasper played with the ends of my hair as we laid there in silence.

"She confuses me too, you know" he said softly.

I looked at him confused but he just smiled back.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, there are times I could feel her emotions and then once she realizes I'm aware of it, she takes it back"

"She takes it back?"

Jasper nodded.

"She does it so fast it leaves me confused for a few seconds and then I get nothing out of her. It's very disorienting especially earlier" I felt him shudder slightly under me.

"She was having a lot of emotions going through her while she listened to Edward. Something Edward said made her stop feeling anything. It was odd. I don't know if she did it on purpose or if it was her instinct. I had never met anyone who ever controlled her emotions the way she does"

"That is odd… Do you think she's hiding something?" I asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure whatever it is, Bella would tell us in time. She just needs to trust us"

I nodded. If we wanted Bella back, we would have to make her trust us. We continued to lie down in silence when an idea struck me. I felt a huge smile slowly making its way to my lips.

"Whoa… Easy girl. What are you thinking of?" Jasper asked. He probably felt my sudden excitement.

"I'm going to invite Bella back in. If we would ever make Bella trust us, we should make sure she knows that she's welcome to our house any time. We should make her feel comfortable so that she would have a reason to come back in. I mean, how long could you last outside in this damp weather?"

"You're right" he said. "Just don't bother her with clothes. She doesn't like it" Jasper chuckled.

"Some things never change" I shook my head and stood up.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Like I said, its not much but let me know what you think. I know you guys have questions, so ask away. I've mentioned on the previous chapter that Riley's POV was a preview. Well not a preview to this chapter obviously but it has something that would happen on future chapters. Anyways, please, please review.  
**


	13. Decisions come with visions

**A/N: I have to admit that the last chapter sucked.. Hehe.. It's my least favorite chapter but it had to happen. Anyways, this chapter is waay better.. I'm getting back on the plot so hopefully this would make up for the last one. I want to thank those people who reviewed Chapter 12. Even though it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, you still said it was good. So, thank you soooo much!! Anyways, here's the next chapter. Please review afterwards.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight.  
**

**Chapter 13: Decisions come with visions**

**BPOV**

The water in the river rushed below my feet. I dipped my feet just a couple of inches below the water and let it stay there. I let the cool feeling course through me. It was very relaxing and it made me forget the different things that were running through my mind. Running usually helped me relax but this time it wasn't enough to clear my mind even for just a few seconds. The water touching my skin made it easier for me to relax.

I was sat on a small boulder by the riverside. I decided to go for my run around the area after hearing the pixie say that she was going to invite me again. I couldn't go inside the house again. Not yet. I need to figure some things first. I knew I had to get away somehow. So while Edward and Alice were having their silent argument, I ran.

It was hard to think when I was near the house. I heard everything they were saying, everything that they were doing. Edward playing some classical music was very soothing but the talking was just making me confused even more. I wanted to trust them. I wanted to but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I believed everything that Edward told me but…

But, what? I really don't know why but I had this nagging feeling inside that kept on bothering me. I don't know what it is but I intend to find out. Right now, I just need to clear my head for a few hours. Thinking was driving me crazy. I don't even know what to think anymore and it was making me think some more.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath in and then breathed out. That's it. Breathe. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and stared at the water. I envied the water. It was clear and it didn't think. It just moved on. It didn't ask anything, it didn't get mad if something was thrown at it. It just takes what is thrown at it and moves on. That's what I need to do, I have to take it, then let go and move on. I will let Edward finish the story no matter how it sounds to me and I will take it and move on.

It wasn't as if I was going to stay with them forever. I paused and thought about it. Forever. Do I really want to spend eternity as a monster? Do I really want to just go on my killing sprees and move on to the next town and do the same thing over and over again?

I shook off the thought and brought my feet up again. No. I don't want to be a monster anymore. I want it to stop. It didn't feel like me anymore. I don't even know who I was until I met them. Somehow, I felt like I was a person and not some pet. I felt like a part of me was being whole again and not an empty shell that was picked up and temporarily filled. It was different to what I usually felt when I'm with Victoria and Riley. It felt like I belong with them.

So, why can't I trust them? Why can't I bring myself to go inside their house again? I did it once and I didn't even try to object. So why can't I do it again? Why can't I bear to listen to them talk about me? Why can't I stay and talk to them about what happened to me over the past years? Why?

'_Because you're afraid of being left in the dark again'_ A voice in my head said.

Well, that doesn't make any sense. Doesn't their coven stick together like a family? If I stay with them, wouldn't I be part of that "family"? I mean it looked like they all wanted me to stay. I paused. Do they?

I sighed and let reality hit me hard. I just have to ask them. Maybe they would let me. I don't want to stay with Victoria and Riley anymore. I was sure they would understand. _She _would be glad to finally get rid of me. At least, I wouldn't get torn into pieces. I shuddered at the thought.

I stood up from the boulder and walked on the huge boulders. I guess there was only one way to find out.

**APOV**

"You scared her away again Alice" Edward said frustrated.

I rolled my eyes at him. I just wanted to make sure Bella was comfortable and talk to her a bit. I wasn't going to do anything drastic as he was thinking.

"Everything you do is drastic" he pointed out.

"Really, Edward. You're the one being drastic. I just wanted to talk to her. Do you know how confusing everything is if you don't remember anything from your past? I was in the same position as her before so I would be the perfect person to talk to" I said and walked past him.

He was being ridiculous. I wasn't planning on scaring Bella away. I finally got my best friend back and there was no way I would let her go again no matter what _other_ people may think.

I heard Edward sigh behind me. I turned around to face him and look him in the eye.

"Edward" I said.

"I know Alice. I don't want to let her go again either. That was the biggest mistake of my existence. I don't want to do that again. I can't do it again" he said softly.

I felt regret as I watched him lower his head down. Of course, he doesn't want to lose her again. I knew that and I remembered the way he was after we left. He was a mess. He was like a broken toy. There was no hope of putting him back together again. And then the news about Bella came. Edward winced at the memory. I put my arms around him.

_I'm sorry._ I said in my head.

"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. I'm mad at myself for all the things I've done and I'm blaming others for my mistake"

I shook my head at him.

"No. It wasn't just your fault. I should've ‒" I was cut off by a vision that suddenly came.

_Edward was on his knees with his hands on his side. He had a pained look on his face. It was different from the pained look that he had before. It was like he was being tortured slowly. He looked so confused, so helpless, so alone, so broken. _

_The sound of metal being ripped and scraped off into pieces was loud and fast. There was somebody moving rapidly and was ripping the limbs off bodies as if it were a piece of paper. Familiar voices were screaming in pain and anguish as they got ripped off. The limbs went straight to a fire that seemed to start out of nowhere. The figure was still a blur and when it was done ripping the last head off, it stopped right in front of Edward._

_A hysterical laugh rang throughout wooded area._

_"Oh, they didn't even know what hit them. They weren't ready for it and my precious pet did all the dirty work for me. Aren't I so lucky, Riley?" a familiar female voice said._

_A flash of red hair moved followed by a blonde boy. They walked towards Edward. He was facing the fire now where the limbs of his family were now burning. Then he slowly looked up to the figure that stopped in front of him._

_"Why?" he asked softly in a pained tone._

_There was a loud snarl and Edward flinched._

_"Hush, my dear. We're almost done here" the female voice said. _

_She put a hand on her shoulder and the figure turned around. _

I snapped out of the vision and gasped. I looked to see Edward frozen in his spot.

"I ‒ What… How…" Edward stuttered.

It was Bella. It can't be Bella. No, it can't be. There has to be some explanation to this.

I heard a door open and Jasper was by my side in an instant.

"Alice, what happened?" he asked concerned.

"I'm not exactly sure" I said.

I was confused. I didn't know what to make of that vision. It was just a vision. Somebody decided to play a cruel joke on us. Somebody wanted all of us dead and Edward tortured.

"Victoria" Edward whispered.

The red hair. It was her. Of course it was her. I remembered her. She was James' mate. She was still out for revenge. And Bella ‒

"Oh god" I said out loud. Edward and I looked at each other.

"Alice, Edward, tell me what happened. What does Victoria have to do with anything?" Jasper asked.

At Jasper's question, everybody rushed towards the hallway where we were stood. Edward and I were still looking at each other.

"What's going on here?" Carlisle asked.

I closed my eyes and composed myself. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Everybody was looking at me expectantly except for Edward. He was slumped on the floor by the wall with his hands on his head.

"I had a vision just now. It involves Bella and…" I took another deep breath and breathed out Victoria's name.

I heard Esme gasp. Emmett's eye widened and Jasper's hand curled into a fist. Rosalie was looking down and Carlisle looked shocked.

"What happened in the vision?" he asked.

I looked at them uneasily and then looked at my brother who was on the floor. I focused my attention on him.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked.

I closed my eyes and composed myself. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Everybody was looking at me expectantly except for Edward. He was slumped on the floor by the wall with his hands on his head.

"I had a vision just now. It involves Bella and..." I took another deep breath and breathed out Victoria's name.

I heard Esme gasp. Emmett's eye widened and Jasper's hand curled. Rosalie was looking down and Carlisle was shocked. Who wouldn't be?

"What happened in the vision?" he asked.

I looked at them uneasily and then looked at my brother who was on the floor. I focused my attention on him since he knew the vision already.

"Victoria's coming for revenge. She's planning on killing all of us. In the vision, we weren't ready for what she had planned. We were all torn apart and our limbs were burning on the fire" My voice cracked as I told them the first part of my vision.

"Except for Edward... She has something else planned for him. I don't know what it is but whatever it is, it's going to torture him forever"

I closed my eyes tightly and the image of Edward on his knees ran through my mind.

"Why do you say that, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at everybody's grim faces.

"Because Victoria is gonna use Bella to kill all of us. She's gonna use Bella to do whatever it is she planned for Edward" I said with a pained tone.

Everybody gasped as I said Bella's name apart from Edward who flinched.

"She... She wouldn't..." Esme stuttered.

There were a few minutes of silence and then Jasper spoke up.

"Do you really think she would do it?" he asked.

"I don't know but that's what Victoria planned. In the vision, she was successful. I didn't notice Bella at first. All I saw was somebody moving rapidly. Her movements were a blur and you can't see where she was coming from and where she's going to attack. When she finished tearing all of us apart, she stopped right in front of Edward. She was going to attack him but Victoria calmed her down and then she turned around. That was when I realized it was Bella" I explained.

There was another moment of silence. Everybody was lost in their own thoughts.

"Well, now that we know what Victoria's planning then we could prepare for the coming onslaught" Emmett suggested.

Edward was on his feet in one swift motion and grabbed Emmett by the shirt.

"And what Emmett?! Kill Bella?!!" he yelled in anger.

Jasper put a hand on Edward's shoulder and released his grip on Emmett's shirt but his body was still tensed.

"No... Of course not... I would never hurt Bella. I'm just saying maybe we could let Victoria's plan backfire on her" Emmett said calmly.

Of course, Emmett would never hurt Bella. There was no question about that. He loves Bella like his own sister and would do anything to protect her at all costs.

Edward backed away and let his back hit the wall.

"I'm sorry... I'm just..." He stuttered.

He looked so lost. He put his hands on his head and was shaking his head as he slumped back on the floor. To everyone's surprise, Rosalie knelt down beside him and wrapped an arm around him. Rosalie wasn't the type of person that go comforting people. I guess she was feeling guilty about how she acted when Bella was still human.

"It's alright Edward. We're all confused. But we'll figure something out" Rosalie whispered softly.

"We have to talk to Bella and find out what she knows. We can stop this from happening" Carlisle said.

Everybody nodded. Somehow, we'll find a way to get Bella out of Victoria's clutches. I shuddered at the thought of Victoria calling Bella her precious pet. Was that what Victoria made her into? A pet?

**EPOV**

I felt guilty for yelling at Emmett like that. I know he wouldn't hurt Bella. I just got caught in the moment. How can my mistake end up killing my family? It was supposed to be for the better. She was supposed to be living a happy human life instead I made everything worse. Not only did I doom her but I doomed my family as well. And it's all my fault.

"Stop blaming yourself, Edward" Jasper spoke up.

I lifted my head to meet everybody's pitiful looks.

"He's right. This wasn't your fault. All of us are to blame. Stop torturing yourself" Rosalie said.

I was surprised when Rosalie comforted me earlier. I knew she was guilty of how she treated Bella before. She wanted to start a new relationship with her now that Bella was back in our lives. She still hadn't changed her mind even after Alice's vision.

I just nodded my head and looked away. I couldn't bear looking at the looks they were giving me. Hearing their thoughts was already too much for me to bear. I didn't deserve their pity. They should be mad at me for putting the family in this situation.

I let my eyes wander outside the house. So many if only ran through my head. But there was nothing I could do about it now. My family had to face what was about to come. I had to face Bella.

I was getting lost in my own thoughts when Alice suddenly had a vision.

_Bella's face was mixed with emotions. Her fists were curled on the side. _

_"I have to. I'm sorry" she said and ran out the house._

_The trees were a blur as she ran. She ran faster than she usually did. She was determined to get to her destination as fast as she could. After a few minutes of running, she stopped and took a deep breath. She started looking for a certain scent and her lips curled back as she found the one she was looking for. She took off in another sprint in the direction of the scent._

_Victoria was there in the middle of the woods with a blonde boy. The same blonde boy in the earlier vision. Bella stopped a few feet away from them and let out a loud growl. She was down on a defensive crouch._

_The two turned around surprised to see Bella._

_"Bella, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here un‒" the boy was cut off by another growl from Bella._

_Victoria raised an eyebrow._

_"Someone's lost their temper. What's‒" She didn't get to finish her question as Bella grabbed her by the neck and slammed her to the nearest tree. She let out another growl._

_"Bella! What is wrong with you?!"Riley demanded as he tried to grab Bella by her arm._

_Bella swung her arm and Riley went flying through the trees. She looked back at Victoria with her eyes in slits._

Alice snapped out of the vision and looked at me in shock. Bella would find out the truth and she's going to go to Victoria. The earlier vision might change. I looked at Alice with hope. Her look was glazed. She was looking through Bella's future but she wasn't coming up with anything.

"Was there another vision, Alice?" Carlisle asked noticing our little exchange.

"Yes. Bella would find out the truth about Victoria and it seemed like Bella is gonna threaten her. Bella seemed really angry in the vision" Alice said.

Everybody seemed to relax at the new vision. Maybe there was hope that we wouldn't be killed after all.

For some reason, the earlier vision was still tugging at my brain. Something wasn't right about the whole thing. Victoria knew about Bella being here but why would she send Bella here if she wants to kill all of us? Wouldn't she know that we would be able to sense Bella or get the chance to talk to her and tell her all about Victoria?

The fact that Victoria called Bella her "precious pet" was disturbing enough.

Alice stood up. She was excited about something.

"Bella's going to be here in a few minutes. She will be asking about some things. I think it's time to make things clear" she stated.

Everybody agreed and decided to stay to talk to Bella.

After a few minutes, we heard a rustle outside and then there was a soft knock.

"Go open the door, Edward" Alice said.

I took a deep breath and stood up. I went towards the front door and opened it. Bella was stood there looking down.

"Hey" I said and smiled at her

She looked up slowly and gave me a small smile.

"Hi. I came back to apologize for my rude exit earlier. I didn't mean to run away from the house when I heard you guys talking about letting me in again. I just‒"

"It's okay, Bella. We understand. You don't have to explain anything" I said cutting her off.

"Would you like to go in? We would like to talk to you about something" I explained.

She looked around nervously and then nodded.

"Um, okay" she said.

I stepped aside to let her in. She took a step forward and walked inside the house. I closed the door behind me and followed her.

_This is going to be interesting._ Carlisle thought.

He was right. This was going to be interesting.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Well, did it make up for it? Please review! Any questions, comments, suggestions are welcome. I will answer your question! Thanks again you guys!:D  
**


	14. Lies

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I know I always say it but I have a valid reason this time. I moved to my new apartment this past week so I was busy moving. Anyways, here's the new chapter. Thank you for being patient with the updates. Thank you to those who are still reading and a huge HUGE thank you to those who reviewed previous chapters. Questions about Alice's vision on the previous chapter will be answered on this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight.  
**

**Chapter 14: Lies**

**BPOV**

I waited for Edward to close the door behind him. Something was up. The house wasn't this usually quiet. Something must've happened before I came. Something they might not want me to hear probably. They were expecting me though. Of course, the pixie saw me coming which explains why Edward opened the door the minute I got back. I hope she wasn't planning on forcing me to wear those clothes again. I shuddered at the thought.

Edward gave me a questioning look but I just shook my head. I followed him to the dining room. I wonder if they really use this area of the house. And the kitchen... Do they know how to cook? I mean it must be part of the whole façade they had going on…

Somebody clearing their throat took me out of my thoughts. I hadn't noticed we reached the dining room already. I looked up to see the doctor standing up with a welcoming smile on his face. I almost grimaced at the memory of the first time they welcomed me to their home. I forced myself to smile back. Everyone was sat around the table. It looked like they were having a conference of some sort.

_Ugh. Relax, Bella. You wanted this remember? You want to be part of their coven, you have to feel comfortable. Unless you changed your mind again._ I told myself.

Alice shuddered at the corner of my eye. Jasper gave her a worried look then looked at me. I gave her an apologetic look which she just shrugged off.

"Hello again, Bella" Carlisle greeted.

I nodded his acknowledgement not really feeling the need to greet him back.

"Please take a seat" he motioned towards the chair that Edward was holding out for me.

He was holding the chair waiting for me to sit down. I guess he really was a gentleman. I should start paying attention to them some more instead of having these internal debates. They were driving me to insanity.

I took the seat he was holding out for me and sat down. For some reason, his presence was very comforting. It might have something to do with Jasper but I felt comfortable around Edward. Maybe it had something to do with our past.

"You must be wondering why we're all gathered here?" Carlisle asked, disrupting my thoughts.

"Yes… And Edward said that you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Carlisle looked at Edward. It looked like they were having a silent conversation. I looked down not wanting to get caught. I saw Edward nod his head once.

"First thing we want to know was… Well, we were wondering if you were part of another coven" Carlisle started.

My body tensed at his question.

_Relax, Bella. They seem worried about you. Maybe they want to make sure if you're happy with your coven or not. Who knows?? Maybe they'll invite you to join them? You don't have to ask them coz they're asking you! Go answer!! Now!_

"Um… Yes… I travel with two other vampires…" I said.

I noticed Edward's body tense and his right hand clenched into a fist. Jasper shot him a look and his body relaxed a bit but his hand was still clenched. A hand covered his and he gasped at me surprised. I was surprised as well. It was my hand covering his. I didn't take it away, though. It felt nice and warm. Opposite to what I thought it would feel like. It felt like it belonged there. It was a perfect match.

I gave him a questioning look.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked as I continued to study his features.

Edward was about to answer me when Alice cut him off.

"Before you came, I had a vision that might have something to do with your companions" she explained.

"My companions? How did you know I was with them?" I asked.

"You were with them… and I believe the girl was the leader of your coven?" she asked and I nodded.

"She said your name" Alice said simply.

"Oh" I almost hit myself in the head. Of course Victoria would say my name. Maybe Riley and Victoria were planning on going here. I mean that was the only reason I could think of that made Alice have the vision.

"Were they planning to go here, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Not that I know of… I was supposed to meet them on the next town and then I don't know what she's planning on doing after that" I answered honestly and looked down.

Victoria never told me any of her plans. She didn't give any instructions to stay here. She wanted me to go back to Seattle and then probably move on from there.

"Well, they are planning to go here and something bad is going to happen" Alice said.

My head shot up at what Alice said.

"What do you mean?"

"Victoria is your coven leader, right?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded my head slowly. A light bulb suddenly lit in my head. Is it possible the Victoria that Edward mentioned was the same Victoria I know?

"Was she the same Victoria that you mentioned before?" I asked Edward.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. He took a deep breath before answering me.

"Yes… I wasn't sure if you were listening to me when I started mentioning her name"

"I kind of got lost in my thoughts when you mentioned her name. I didn't think it was the same Victoria since you mentioned something about James and Laurent. I don't know anybody with those names" I said.

"You wouldn't have known anything about them" Edward stated.

"They're both dead. Well, we're sure that James is dead. We've heard that a pack of wolves killed Laurent before you went missing" he continued.

"Okay… So what does that have anything to do with Victoria coming here?" I asked bluntly.

They all looked at each other before anybody answered me.

"We think that she's planning on coming here for revenge and she wants all of us dead" Jasper answered.

"Revenge? Why would she want that?"

"Because James was Victoria's mate" Edward said.

James was Victoria's mate. He _was_ her mate. That was why Victoria never looked at Riley the way that I had seen other vampires look at their mates. Riley was just being used. Just like me. She was just using the two of us to get what she really wanted. Revenge.

A lot of things dawned on me. All those things that I was trained to do was for this. It was for her revenge on the Cullens. That was why she sent me here to watch and observe them. She wanted me to know their weaknesses just like before I start my killing spree. She was going to use me to kill all of them. Of course, the Cullens were a big coven and three of them have special talents. She needs a killing machine to destroy all of them.

"She's going to use me…" I whispered and looked around the room. They all had a pained look on their faces. I took my hand away from Edward's.

Alice reached for my hand and touched it but I took it away. She looked slightly offended but brushed it off.

"Yes… She will… But we were thinking maybe we could make her plan backfire on her with your help" She said.

"Only if you want to, of course" Edward said.

"I don't know how I could be of help, though… I'll have to think about it" I said.

"We're not forcing you to make a decision now, Bella. But we greatly appreciate that you would take the time to think about it" Carlisle said.

Well, her plan just backfired on her now that I know I had a past with the Cullens. I was confused though. If she knew I had a past with them, why would she send me knowing that one of them was psychic and would probably see me coming? Wouldn't she have known that they would try and communicate with them?

"What's wrong, Bella?" Jasper asked me with a worried tone.

"I… I just… I don't get why she would send me here… If she knew my past, then wouldn't she know that her plan won't work anymore?" I voiced out my thoughts.

Everybody nodded in agreement. We were all lost in our own thoughts for a few seconds until Emmett spoke up.

"Maybe it's a part of her plan…" he started.

"What do you mean, Emmett?" Carlisle asked.

Edward growled at Emmett but he just brushed it off.

"Cool it, bro. I'm just saying, maybe she has been thinking about this for a very long time. It has been three years, you know. I believe that's a long time for good planning" Emmett explained.

Three years? But I've been a vampire for two and a half years. Unless…

"Maybe she even planned on changing Bella herself and then use her against us" Emmett continued.

My body stiffened as he said that. Emmett continued to talk about different ways on how Victoria planned everything but I stopped listening to him. I got lost in my own thoughts.

My fist tightly clenched into a fist as anger started to course through me. She lied. She LIED to me. It was her right from the beginning. I still don't remember anything from when I was changed but everything Emmett was saying made a lot of sense. How did she know where to find me? I was on an underground cave in the mountains when Riley found me. I had never heard anybody approach the cave when I was there. Unless, she was the one who put me there. A place away from everybody and any other living creature. She left me in the dark for months so I would grow weak. I grew very weak with each day but I held on hoping that somebody would find me. But she knew where to find me exactly. She _knew_. Otherwise, I would've been left there for death to claim me. I hadn't fed for months and she used that to make me kill all those humans. She let me lose knowing that there was nothing to stop me from feeding. But, why me? Why did she have to use me? She could've used Riley but instead she chose me.

I felt a few calming waves trying to penetrate my shield. I hadn't even noticed I put it up.

"Stop it, Emmett" Edward growled.

Emmett immediately stopped and looked at me.

"Sorry, Bella… I got carried away" he said apologetically.

"It's alright…" I said quickly brushing it off.

"I want to know… What makes you think that Victoria have planned this all before I even became a vampire?" I asked.

"Do you really think it was her who changed you?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, she did know where to find me" I answered.

Jasper gave me a confused look.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Remember when you asked me if I knew who changed me and I said all I remembered was darkness?"

Jasper nodded.

"Well, whoever it was who changed me, left me in an underground cave which was deep into the earth. There were no other living creatures for miles apart from the insects that were probably crawling on the cave walls. If it was her, well, she left me in the dark cave during my change. I woke up in total darkness and stayed there for months until Riley took me out. According to him, it was Victoria who initially found me and told him to get me. What really bothered me was they knew exactly where to find me. During the time I was there, I know for a fact that I didn't hear anybody come near a 10 mile radius around the cave"

"Guess I'm right about that part then!" Emmett exclaimed.

Rosalie smacked him on the head.

"Okay Mr. Smarty Pants… Explain then how Victoria planned this from the very beginning" she challenged him.

Emmett opened then closed his mouth. He was deep in thought for a few minutes and then spoke up again.

"Well, she might want to get back at Edward for killing James… Even though it wasn't him who killed James… But, you know… Mate for a mate, I guess… She probably thinks using Bella against him would make her plan work"

Edward was about to growl at Emmett but I stopped him.

"Mate for a mate?" I asked.

"Yeah… Since Edward was protecting you when we killed James, then why not use you against the person who cares about you the most?" He pointed out.

"Edward was protecting me? From James?" I asked puzzled.

"James wanted to kill you and make me mad. He wanted me to go after him and avenge your death. He thought it would be the greatest game ever. We took you away to Phoenix so that James wouldn't know where to find you but he did anyway. He tricked you into going to an old ballet studio since you thought he got your mom hostage. He was about to kill you while recording the whole thing but I came at the right moment and stopped him" Edward explained.

"Right and we killed James after that. We tried to track Victoria but we lost her" Emmett finished.

This was the bigger plan. At the back of my head, I always knew there was a bigger plan. Victoria wanted revenge for James' death and she was going to use me.

"What did you see in the vision?" I directed the question to Alice.

Alice hesitated but gave up and answered.

"You were moving so fast and ripping our limbs off then throwing them to the fire. You didn't touch Edward though. You left him alone" her voice quivered as she talked.

It sounded exactly the way I killed those newborns. It was going to be me. I paused as realization hit me. I won't let that happen. They didn't do anything to me that would make me kill all of them and leave Edward alone. It's not my fight. It's hers. I won't let her touch any of them.

"I had another vision after that… I didn't know which one was going to happen first… It was confusing" she said.

I looked at her puzzled.

"In the other vision, you were attacking Victoria… That was all I saw. I didn't know what happened afterwards" Alice explained.

Me? Attacking Victoria? I would never think of doing that unless I was really angry. Which I was. I looked at my clenched fist and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and welcomed Jasper's soothing waves. My fist loosened and I had a tighter grip on reality.

I had to confront her. I had to know what she intended to do. I had to know if she was really going to use me to kill the Cullens. I stood up from my seat.

"I have to confront her. It's the only way I would know the truth" I stated.

"Bella, I don't think that's a good idea. Don't you think she would just lie to you? She has already done, she can do it again" Alice said.

"I know that but she seems to know what she was doing when she sent me here. I want to know what makes her think that she could still continue with her plans knowing that you would have done anything to communicate with me" I explained.

"No, Bella. Don't. She's just going to make something up and it might make her plan work if this was all part of it" Edward pleaded.

I shook my head.

"I know what I'm doing" I said as a matter of fact.

"Don't worry. I'll do what it takes not to let her get to me. The other vision won't happen"

Edward followed me to the front door.

"You don't have to do this, Bella. We can face Victoria and deal with her. You don't have to see her"

I felt a slight tug at my chest as I looked at Edward's pained look. I wanted to stay with him and make sure that Victoria doesn't touch anyone in the family. My hands curled at my side as I tried to fight off the different emotions that were raging over me.

"I have to. I'm sorry" I said and ran.

I ran faster than I normally would. I was determined to get everything out of Victoria. The trees were a blur as I ran. I didn't know where to find them exactly but I could follow Riley's scent from a few days ago and follow it.

Everything Emmett said was a guess but all of it made sense. I don't care if the family thought he had the brain of a monkey. The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. It was _the perfect plan_. She lied to me. Everything she told me was a lie. She hid me in darkness and made me think I was alone. She intended to get me after a few months just so I would be at my weakest point and then make me go on a killing spree to prove just how strong I was. She made me kill all those newborns just so I would get stronger knowing that the Cullens were strong in every possible way. She trained me to be able to find my target's weaknesses so I could use it against them. She lied so she would get her revenge. She wasn't getting it.

A familiar scent reached my nostrils. It was faint but it was the very one I was looking for. I stopped to take in a deep breath. The scent was stronger going north and it mixed with another familiar scent. I felt my lips curl back as I took it in. I took off in a sprint towards the north. The scents was getting stronger as I approached. After a few seconds, I could see two figures in the middle of the wooded area. I felt my anger rise as I watched Victoria talk to Riley as if he was her mate. She was using him as well. She didn't love him like she said. She was lying to him too.

I stopped a few feet away from them and I let out a growl. I was on a defensive crouch as I watched the both of them turned to look at me surprised.

"Bella, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here un‒"

I let out another growl before he could even finish his sentence. I was mad at him for believing Victoria's lies. How could he not see it?

Victoria didn't look taken aback by my behavior. Instead, she just raised an eyebrow at me.

"Someone's lost their temper. What's ‒"

I didn't let her finish the question as I lunged for her. I grabbed her by the neck and slammed her to the nearest tree. I was too fast for her that she didn't have enough time to react. She tried to pry my fingers away from her neck. I gave another growl and she stopped moving.

"Bella! What is wrong with you?!" Riley demanded.

I felt him grab my arm and try to loosen my grip on Victoria. I swung the arm that he was holding on to. The force was so strong that he went flying through the trees. I looked at Victoria through slit eyes and snarled.

"YOU LIED TO ME!" I yelled at her.

"YOU KNEW ME AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! YOU KEPT ME IN THE DARK! YOU'RE JUST USING ME TO GET YOUR REVENGE! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CHANGE ME!!! AM I RIGHT?!!" I demanded.

"So you think you had it all figured it out, huh? I didn't lie to you" Victoria replied in a raspy voice as she tried to talk.

"YOU LIED TO ME" I repeated for her.

"No… No… I didn't lie to you… I kept things from you for a reason… You want to know the truth?" she taunted.

"I KNOW THE TRUTH! AND ITS NOT GONNA COME FROM YOU" I shouted as I tried to drown out her words. I slammed her again against the tree and she gave a small grunt.

"Oh, but I'm the only one who knows the real truth… After all, they weren't there when you were changed. Yes, I was the one who changed you, Isabella Marie Swan. I was the one who was planning on killing you so that Edward could live his life in solitude so that he would feel the pain I felt when I lost James but you were begging me to kill you when I found you. You were the one who changed my plan." she talked with the same taunting voice.

My eyes widened as she said the last few words.

"That's not true… That's a lie!" I yelled.

Edward was right. She was going to say things that would make me believe her but I knew better. I knew what she really wanted and I wasn't giving it to her.

"Oh, so you mean they didn't tell you?" she said as she tried to give me a fake surprised look.

What the hell was she on about?

"Tell me what?" I asked with a cold tone.

"They didn't tell you why they left?" she asked in the same tone.

"They didn't leave… They…" I paused and my grip on her neck loosened a bit.

They didn't tell me anything about them leaving. Well, truth was, I never gave them the chance to finish telling me the whole story.

"Oh come on, Bella. Why do you think I was able to change you so easily? Don't you think they would've somehow stopped me from doing so?"

What Victoria was saying made sense. If they were able to stop James from killing me in Phoenix, wouldn't they have killed Victoria before she even got the chance to change me?

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Do you think Bella would believe what Victoria is saying? Or would she listen to Edward and not believe anything Victoria says? Tell me what you guys think. Guess!! Drop me a few words. I'm interested in what you have to say.**

**I got carried away writing this chapter and was longer than usual so I cut it. I decided to leave you with a very good cliff hanger... (which means next chapter is _partially_ written already!!) Please _review_! **

**As usual, comments, suggestions and questions are welcome!  
**


	15. Mate for a mate

**A/N: Here's an action packed chapter! Well, not really action packed but it has action in it! Hehe.. It might appear to happen too fast but let me know. Please review!  
**

**Thank you again for you wonderful reviews! A lot of you got where I was going but you just have to wait and see!! Thank you for the suggestions as well... Don't worry fabm21, someone totally unexpected will explain everything... You just have to wait until the next chapters of course... ;p This chapter might be a little confusing but I know what I'm doing. *wink wink*  
**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.  
**

_**Chapter 15: Mate for a Mate**_

**EPOV**

"I'm sorry. I have to" Bella said then turned around and ran.

I watched Bella's figure disappear into the forest in less than a second. I was amazed at how fast she ran. She could probably outrun me. It wasn't the right time to be admiring her beauty and grace but I couldn't help myself. It had been three excruciatingly painful years without my Bella. These past few days had been pure torture knowing that I couldn't hold her and kiss her the way I used to. The next few days would be more painful. I don't even know when she would come back.

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks as I closed the front door. I don't even know when she would come back. Hell, I don't even know if she would come back. I hope that she would come back. I still haven't told her everything. As much as I don't want her to remember that time, she had the right to know. I owed her that much. I had to tell her why I left all those years ago. I had to tell her how stupid I was for doing that. I had to tell her that I was being selfish. I had to tell her how sick of a monster I was. I had to apologize to her.

Victoria must've known we left, leaving Bella behind otherwise she wouldn't have found her easily. A thought suddenly occurred to me. What if she uses that against me and my family? Surely, Bella would think I was lying to her these past few days. A feeling of dread slowly crept inside me. I suddenly felt nauseous and had the urge to hold the table for support.

_This isn't good._ Carlisle thought.

I didn't know if he was talking about my current condition or what just happened but I had to get to the dining room and tell them what I just thought. I slowly made my way to the dining room still feeling a bit nauseous. I could still hear them talking. As soon as I entered, Jasper grabbed the table and closed his eyes. He must've felt my nauseousness. I didn't even know if it was possible for a vampire to be nauseous. Jasper breathed heavily until it evened out then looked at me.

"What… was… that?" he asked in between breaths.

"I felt nauseous" I said and sat down to where I was sat earlier. Bella's scent lingered in the air. I breathed it in and the feeling slowly went away.

He raised an eyebrow at me and asked how I felt that way since it wasn't normal for our kind to be nauseous or sick in any way.

"A thought occurred to me…" I paused and noticed everybody was looking at me.

I sighed and continued.

"Victoria might have something that she can use against us… me…" I corrected myself. Inside I was praying that it wouldn't be true but everything was pointing at that direction. It was the reason why Victoria was very confident.

"She can get Bella to believe that I don't care for her because I left her all those years ago" My voice cracked as I talked.

"I didn't even get the chance to tell Bella about it. She's going to believe everything that Victoria would say to her"

Everybody was silent but their thoughts were all mixed up. They wanted to pity me but they were angry at me as well. I understood why they felt that way. I lied to them too. I didn't tell them the real reason why we left.

"I knew you leaving would get back at you somehow!" Alice glared at me.

She growled in frustration and kept sending me death glares. I flinched as she screamed profanities in her head. She continued her fit in her head as she paced back and forth.

"Alice, calm down. This isn't gonna solve anything" Jasper said as he placed a calming hand on Alice's shoulder to stop her from pacing.

"She's right. Now that we know what Victoria is gonna use against us, we need to come up with a plan so we could at least avoid the vision from coming true" Carlisle said.

Alice mumbled something incoherent and sat down again. Jasper's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned in towards him. I felt a pang of jealousy as I watched the two of them. Jasper shot me a look but I just looked away. If only I hadn't been so selfish, none of this would be happening. We wouldn't be facing death in the hands of… my Bella.

Truth be told, I didn't mind Bella killing me. I would gladly give my life for her if she wanted to take it. I would gladly enjoy the torture she would put me in as she tears me apart limb per limb. I don't care how fast or slow she would do it. It doesn't matter how she does it. I deserved everything she would throw my way. I won't protest against it. I just don't want her to involve my family. They didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't their fault we left. It wasn't them who lied. It was me. It was _all_ me.

"Would you stop blaming yourself Edward?!" Jasper's voice cut me off from my thoughts.

"You're not the only one at fault here! Everybody in this room did something. Everybody in this room could've prevented this from happening. But nobody did anything. If there was anyone to be really blamed for all this shit we're going through, it's me! If I hadn't almost attacked Bella then none of this would be happening right now! You wouldn't have thought of leaving her at all!" He exclaimed.

"It wasn't your fault! She didn't blame you for what happened!" I insisted.

"I know that! All I'm saying is stop blaming yourself! Saying sorry to her now won't make any difference because she _doesn't remember anything_, Edward. Not a thing. You would just confuse her some more" Jasper sighed.

He was right and I know it. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I let his thoughts quiet down.

"Look, there may be a chance that Bella might not believe Victoria" he said softly.

My head snapped up as he said this.

"What do you mean, Jasper?" Carlisle asked confused.

"If we're lucky, Bella might remember I had mentioned that we left because of me" Jasper said.

He said what?

"Wait, you mean you mentioned we left?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes… I wanted to apologize to her for what I did. I wanted to do it all those years ago but I didn't get the chance to do so. I knew it was stupid to do but I just had to say it. She got confused of course but she just brushed it off and said that we probably mistook her for another person. She didn't ask about it anymore" he answered.

"Is there a chance that we're going to survive this?" Esme asked Alice.

Alice closed her eyes for a bit. She tried concentrating but the visions were all a blur.

"Nothing's clear as of yet. I don't think Bella has made her decision yet" My heart sank as Alice said this.

"But… I have a gut feeling that we'll get through this fine" she said.

"What makes you say that?" Rosalie asked.

"Well, I just know it and I know Bella" she said as a matter of fact.

I looked at her puzzled. She barely got to talk to Bella this past few days unless she was inviting her inside the house.

Alice rolled her eyes at me.

"She's stubborn. Just like Eduardo, here" she pointed a finger at me.

I almost snarled at her but Emmett cut me off.

"So, are we gonna make a plan or what? I just want to make sure I get to kick Victoria's ass even once but you can do the honors of killing her, Eddie"

This time, I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay… So, now that we know some things we can…" Carlisle started the discussion.

I drowned their voices out as they brainstormed. I would just listen to the main plan later. I looked outside the window wondering what was going on now with Bella and Victoria. I silently prayed that Bella wouldn't believe a single thing Victoria would say or at least she could give me the chance to explain. At this time, I could only hope and pray.

**BPOV**

_No, Bella! She's just trying to get into your head. Don't let her get to you! You can get the truth out of Edward after this. Don't listen to her!_ A voice in my head shouted.

Victoria continued to taunt me when I didn't answer.

"You were easy to find since nobody was protecting you except for your wolf friends. Of course, I was able to trick them. Stupid dogs. You were by yourself when I found you. You jumped off the cliff when I found you in the water. You were drowning in the waves but I took you. I wanted to kill you myself. It was the only way I know I could avenge _him_" she paused and looked away.

There was some sort of longing in her eyes but I kept my hand around her neck. She stayed quiet for a few seconds and I watched her eyes turn to coal black then she returned her gaze to me.

"And then you begged me to kill you"

"That's not true" I tried to sound convincing but my voice cracked.

I heard the crunching sound of the dry leaves as somebody walked towards us. I didn't turn around to see who it was. My focus remained on Victoria.

"Bella, let her go" Riley demanded.

I snarled in his direction and tightened my grip on Victoria's neck. Riley was at my side in an instant and tried to pry my fingers. He wasn't having any luck.

"Let her go NOW" Riley ordered this time with more authority.

"It's… alright, Ri… She… needs to… know the truth…" Victoria choked out the words.

"You don't know the truth" I growled at her.

"Oh… But I do… See, I've always wondered… what you were… thinking… when you jumped… It seems to… me you were… planning on ending your life that day" she said in between heavy breaths.

"You were on your knees begging… pleading that I kill you" At this point my hand had loosened its grip on her neck she was able to move. Victoria said the words in the same tone as she circled around me.

I kept saying to myself that it wasn't true. It couldn't be. There was no way anything that comes out from her mouth was true. I tried to stop listening to her just to tune out her voice but something in my chest kept tugging at me to listen to her.

"'He doesn't want me'… 'He doesn't love me'… 'I was just a distraction'…" She said in a mocking tone as she stopped in front of me.

"You said they left you because they didn't want you anymore… _He_ didn't want you anymore. You were just a distraction to him"

I flinched as the words left her mouth. A familiar pain slowly crept to my chest threatening to open the gaping hole. I stopped a sob from escaping my chest. I wrapped my arms around my waist trying to keep myself together. There has to be some sort of explanation. I saw her smile in satisfaction. I wasn't going to let her win. I can't let her.

"Don't you get it Isabella? He _lied_ to you. When he said forever he really didn't mean it. He just wanted something to distract him for a while and then move on again. You meant nothing to him or to them. You were just another human. They got sick of you and left you to the wolves" Victoria spat the words at me.

I turned my head away as she said the last words. It was true that I was just another human back then. He said he wanted to kill me the first time he saw me but he stopped himself. A lot of things suddenly came together. I distracted him from his diet. I distracted him from what he usually did with his family. I was just a distraction. It was something different to do while eternity stretches on. A little game with another vampire was just another challenge to him and his family. I was just a _distraction. _Nothing but a distraction.

_Stop listening to her Bella! She's lying and you know it. Don't believe anything she says!_ A voice in my head kept saying.

When I didn't say anything back to her, Victoria continued to mock me.

"Don't you think if they really cared for you, they wouldn't have let you come here alone? I'm sure the psychic saw all of this happening" she waved her hand around us.

"If they really care for you, or if he really loves you like you think he does, wouldn't he have come here to face me to kill me himself?"

"You don't know him" I said in a cold tone as I curled my fists.

She didn't know them. She didn't know him. All she knew were the facts that she was able to collect. She didn't know them personally. She had three years to figure out what to say when this day comes. She was just pulling strings to make me believe her but a lot of things she said was making sense.

_And what do you know? You don't even remember anything that happened. Hell, they don't even know what happened to you._ Another voice in my head said.

Why did Edward leave? Why did they leave me alone? Was this the whole reason why I always felt this gaping hole in my chest? Was this why I felt like I was falling apart all the time?

I felt whole and contented when I was with Edward these past few days. We didn't do anything romantic but the way he looked at me looked like he wanted to do so. If he did love me in that way, wouldn't he have done anything to make sure I was safe? If they killed James, surely he would know that he had a mate? Wouldn't he have thought that Victoria would be back for revenge? He practically left me for the dead.

My hands uncurled as I looked up to see Victoria's piercing gaze. Riley was standing next to her looking lost.

"So, do you remember everything now?" she asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.

I looked at her surprised. She was expecting me to remember?

"Well? Do you? Only you would know the real truth" She pointed out.

I shook my head in disbelief at the same time answering her question. What was she on about?

"All my work for nothing" She said as she shook her head in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" I asked in a monotonous tone.

"I sent you to the Cullens for a reason. I know they would do everything to be able to talk to you. Of course, they would find out that you don't remember anything. They were supposed to tell you how they "cared" for you, how Edward "loved" you" Victoria growled in frustration.

"Did they tell you?" she asked frustrated.

"They did… What does it have to do with anything?" I asked.

"You were supposed to remember _everything_!!!" she growled again.

My breathing started to get heavy as realization slowly settled in. Emmett was right. It was all part of the plan right from the very beginning. She was telling the truth. She just wanted me to remember. All this time she just wanted me to remember.

"You want to know why I changed my plan on killing you in the first place? Why I decided to change you into a vampire? Why I let you get strong the way you are now? You want to know why?"

I looked at her straight in the eye as she looked at me.

"It's because we could both get revenge on the one person who broke us. The same person who left us on our own. The same person who was supposed to feel the pain and not us. We could both kill Edward Cullen" she said the words with such hate that it almost sent me shivers.

"The pain you always feel, it was because of him. He _lied_ to you Bella. They all did. Now it's our time to make him feel the pain. It's his time to be broken"

**EPOV**

_Something isn't right, Edward_. Alice thought in her head as she tried to keep a straight face.

She was failing at it though. Jasper could feel her anxiety and the rest were shooting her glances every now and then.

I looked away and frowned.

_The visions aren't changing. It's still the same as before. _She said in a worried tone.

"Would you please stop the silent conversation?" Emmett said out loud.

I sighed and nodded.

"What is it Alice?" Carlisle asked.

She looked at the rest of the family uneasily.

"The visions aren't changing. It's still the same as before" she repeated out loud for everybody.

Esme gasped and held on to Carlisle's arm. He whispered to her some words of comfort before facing all of us.

"It seems like Bella has believed what Victoria had to say" he said.

"You don't say" Rosalie said as she rolled her eyes.

Carlisle ignored her and continued to talk.

"We probably won't have a chance to talk to Bella with this situation so we have to come up with a way that would make Bella give us a chance to explain"

"You mean give me a chance to explain" I said out loud.

"Edward, this isn't just your fault. We all left her without protest. We are all to blame for this" Carlisle stated. He was speaking for the whole family now.

But it was just my fault. I started all of it. If I hadn't chosen to leave, none of this would be happening. I stopped my self pity as Jasper shot me a look.

"All we need is one chance then we will let Bella decide what she wants to do"

My eyes widened as I realized what he was talking about.

"No one is going to fight Bella" I said through gritted teeth.

"No one will fight Bella, Edward. I don't think anyone in this room would want to hurt her in any way. We have to make her see that we would fight for her" he said.

"Okay, then I get Victoria" Emmett said.

I growled at Emmett's suggestion.

"No. I ‒" I was suddenly pulled into one of Alice's vision and was back to reality as fast as I got pulled in.

"Newborns. An army of newborns" she said as she played the vision back and forth.

There were newborns attacking from different sides. Each one of us was fighting them off as Victoria, Bella and the blonde boy stood on the side watching the attack.

"Of course… Very smart… She's going to use them to distract all of us" Jasper said.

Emmett frowned at him. I rolled my eyes as Jasper explained to Emmett what he meant.

"Victoria has thought of this very well. She planned every possible thing that could happen. She probably knew that we would talk Bella out of killing all of us so she probably came up with the idea of a newborn army. With all of us fighting, there would be no chance of any of us getting to talk to Bella. She also probably thought if Bella doesn't kill us, the newborns would" he explained.

"Oh… Right… Then that means I get to kick some ass!" Emmett exclaimed.

"It's nothing you should be excited about Emmett. It's something that we should take seriously" Carlisle said.

"He's right. Newborns are strong. An army of newborns would be stronger. They wouldn't want to do anything but destroy everything that would be on their path" Jasper stated.

"Do you know when they would be attacking Alice?" Carlisle asked.

Alice closed her eyes and concentrated. Blurry images flashed back and forth.

"Tomorrow at dawn" she said as she opened her eyes.

"This isn't good. We don't have enough time to prepare" Jasper said.

"Well then, I suggest we start preparing now" Carlisle said as he stood up.

Everybody else followed his action but I stayed seated on the chair.

I couldn't believe we would be facing this kind of fate by tomorrow morning. Everything happened so fast. I thought the past few days I spent with Bella would lead to a new beginning for the both of us. She still didn't remember anything but I thought we could take things slowly. We didn't even have to be lovers. Being friends with her again was good enough for me. And I was thinking of explaining to her why I did those things in the past. And now, the chance of ever explaining things to her was gone.

***

It was almost the crack of dawn. We were at the clearing where we had the baseball game and where everything turned around.

"At least, this time we're not protecting human Bella" Emmett tried to lighten the mood as we waited.

Rosalie jabbed him on the side while Jasper rolled his eyes.

I wanted to growl at him for even thinking of that but I was too tired to be frustrated at Emmett. I needed to save my energy for the coming onslaught. They were all wrapped up with each of their mates while I got lost in my thoughts of the couple of days I had with Bella.

A few minutes later, I heard a number of heavy footsteps running at a very fast speed.

"You guys know the plan, alright? Stick to it. Try to get to talk to Bella. We'll get through this" Jasper said as he went down on a defensive crouch.

We all went down on our own defensive crouches. After a few minutes, there were loud snarls coming from different directions. There were seven newborns coming our way. The one at the front lunged for Rosalie but Emmett stood in front of her and stopped the newborn from attacking her. He tackled the newborn down to the ground and they wrestled each other. This was it. It was going to be the end. There was no way that we could defeat an army of newborns.

A growl to my left caught my attention. I turned towards the direction of the sound and I got tackled by the newborn to the ground. I struggled to hold it away from me as it tried to snap its teeth into my neck. It was just too strong. At the corner of my eye, I saw Emmett throwing the limbs of the newborn he just decapitated.

_Snap out of it, Edward!_ Jasper's voice echoed through my head.

I did as what he told me and I kicked the newborn in the stomach making it fly away from me. I stood up from the ground just in time to see the same newborn heading towards me again. I was quicker this time and I lunged for it. I took it by the neck and snapped it out of its body.

I tore its limbs apart one by one and threw it on the same fire that Emmett started. Emmett gave me a wink and thumbs up before going back to help Rosalie. Not long after, all of us have started small bonfires where we threw the remains of the newborns.

"Don't tell me that was all" Emmett said as he threw the last limb on the fire.

"Of course not" a familiar voice on the other side of the clearing said.

Victoria stood by the trees as she watched us.

"You want more? I'll give you more… Riley, bring them out" She said.

The blonde boy on the vision moved forward. Behind him was a huge number of hungry looking newborns. It looked like there was a hundred of them following him and waiting for his command. The moment he gave the order, the newborns charged at us. They were attacking from different directions.

I felt my knees gave out as I watched the horror that was happening right in front of me. Not one of them even stopped to attack me. They all went for my family. No. No. This isn't happening. They should be attacking me not them. They didn't do anything. I was rooted to the spot as I watched everything happen around me.

I saw a flash of movement a few feet away from me. Somebody was moving rapidly and was ripping the limbs of bodies so fast it was like pieces of paper falling to the ground. The body parts went straight to a fire that started out of nowhere. I still couldn't see who was moving so fast. Screams of anguish and pain echoed throughout the clearing. It wasn't as peaceful as it was before the break of dawn. It became a warzone that was going to be full of burning limbs at the end of the day.

The blurry figure continued to rip off the newborns. As soon as it finished ripping the nearest newborn to me, it stopped right in front of me.

I looked up to see two crimson eyes look down at me with so much fury.

A hysterical laugh rang throughout the wooded area.

"Oh, they didn't even know what hit them. They weren't ready for it and my precious pet did all the dirty work for me. Aren't I so lucky, Riley?" Victoria said.

She moved forward followed by the blonde boy. They made their way towards me. I looked at the fire the limbs of the newborns were now burning. I hoped that none of my family was hurt.

"Why?" I asked softly in a pained tone.

I knew why of course. But she didn't have to include my family in it. She could've just hurt me.

Bella snarled at me.

"Hush, my dear. We're almost done here" Victoria said.

She put a hand on Bella's shoulder and she turned around. Bella moved to the side so Victoria could stand in front of me. She grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her.

"You ask why? You know very well why Edward" She said and then leaned forward.

"Mate for a mate… Well, in this case… Your family for a mate" she whispered in my ear.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**So, does Bella get to kill Edward? Did the Cullens die? If you guys want any of the Cullen's POV let me know.. I'll squeeze it in on the next chapter.. Or I'll make the whole chapter on different POVs... your call. Is it really the end for them?  
**

**As usual, comments, suggestions and questions are welcome! Let me know what you think! Please please review!  
**


	16. War

**A/N: I'm extremely sorry for the late update but here it is now! I put the fight on Emmett's POV since he's the most fun out of all of them. Lol. Before I let you read I just want to thank those people who reviewed the previous chapter. You guys are the best!! This chapter would answer your question if the Cullens died or not. I'll let you read it. I'll reply to the reviews today as well so that I could clarify some things with you guys… Anyways, let me stop babbling and enjoy reading! **

**Warning: Might be a bit morbid but I couldn't help it. But expect something TOTALLLY unexpected at the end of the chapter.......  
**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight.  
**

_**Chapter 16: War**_

**Emmett POV**

This was what I just need. A good fight. I haven't had a real fight like this since…Well, I had never been on a fight like this. The last real fight I'd been to was… Well, I didn't really fight. It was Edward who fought James… So, I had never been on a real fight. This was the real deal now. Alright!

I moved just in time to miss a blurry figure pass by. It was tearing off limbs from the newborns like a piece of paper and then moving on to the next one as fast as it was moved. And what really amazed me was it burned the limbs just as fast. I wonder who that could be. It couldn't have been a newborn because if it was then why was it tearing apart its fellow newborns? Unless, they were trying to scare us? Not that it would but it doesn't make any sense…

"Emmett!" a panicked voice yelled.

I turned around just in time to see a newborn lunge at me. My body collided with the ground as I tried to fight off the newborn. It was trying to take a good hold of my neck but I pried its fingers off just as easy. I grabbed its arm and twisted it around as I stood up from my spot.

"Seriously, you really think you could do that?" I shook my head as the newborn growled at me.

"Yeah… Whatever… Sorry" I said and snapped off its arm as it yelled out in agony. I threw it on the nearest fire then tore off the rest and tossed it on the same fire. I dusted off my hands as I discarded the last limb.

Another newborn snarled at me then started to run towards me but I dodged it as it jumped. It landed on its side and rolled a few feet away from me. I was serious about what I said earlier. It was a good thing that we weren't protecting human Bella at a time like this. Imagine what that would be like. Hmmm…

"Come on, get up… Show me what you got!" I challenged as I circled it.

"Emmett! This isn't the time for games!" Jasper shouted in disbelief.

He was standing a few feet away from me. I watched him throw the limbs of a newborn in the fire and I remembered the newborn I was dealing with. I turned around to find the space in front of me empty. Where the hell did he go? I looked around but I couldn't find him. Instead, I saw Bella glaring at Edward as Victoria moved towards Edward and whisper something to his ear. I didn't hear what she said as a snarl to my right distracted me.

A small smile crept through my lips as it approached me. I moved to the side just as it reached me and then I grabbed it from the back and threw it against the ground.

"Sorry but I'll do this quick" I said and did just what I said.

"Why do you keep apologizing to them?" Alice asked as she stood a couple of feet away from me.

I shrugged as I turned around and grabbed a newborn that headed for her.

"It wasn't their fault they were changed, you know. They're just being used but of course they don't see that since they're too thirsty" I explained.

"Sorry" I said and faced the newborn I was holding. It was trying to get away from my grip but I held it firmly and then I ripped it apart.

"You know" I said looking at Alice.

"Oh god! Stop being sentimental right now! It would be great if we just finish them off without feeling guilty!" Rosalie exclaimed as she helped Alice with a newborn.

I almost rolled my eyes at Rosalie but I stopped myself. It wasn't really the right time to be saying something against her.

"Hey, did you see that blurry─"

"Bella" Alice answered my unfinished question.

I finished ripping apart another newborn before I even understood what Alice said. If that was Bella killing all those newborns, does that mean she was on our side? But, how come I saw her standing by Victoria earlier. I quickly whipped my head to where I saw them earlier. It looked like Victoria was still taunting Edward. Bella, on the other hand, was shaking her head as if she was trying to shake off something.

Bella closed her eyes as she gripped the side of her head. Her grip was getting tighter as her knuckles started to turn white.

"Bel─" I was cut off by an arm hitting my jaw.

I growled in frustration as I realized what just happened. My eyes turned to slits as I searched for the one who hit me. She was standing about a foot away from me. She was going to hit me again but I grabbed her fist and twisted it full circle until the arm broke off. She screamed in agony as I threw her arm to the fire.

"Never" I tore off her other wrist.

"Ever" I tore off the other forearm.

"Ever" I tore off the remaining part of her arm from her shoulder.

"Hit me" I finished as I hit her back on the jaw and then threw her remaining body parts towards the fire.

"Now that's what I'm talking about" Rosalie mumbled.

I grinned as I looked at her.

We regrouped in the middle of the clearing and made a circle so we could attack the coming newborns in different directions. It seemed that we had destroyed quite a number already but it doesn't seem to be enough. There was fire burning everywhere and smoke was starting to fog up the entire area. A lot of newborns where standing on the side waiting for orders.

"It seems like they're waiting for orders…" I said out loud.

"Yes, it seems so. But we can't wait for them to attack us. We have to do something" Carlisle said.

"Where is Edward?" Esme asked worriedly.

"He's right… there" I turned around to point where I have seen them earlier but they weren't there.

"What the hell?! He was over there earlier" I said as I scratched my head.

Edward was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Bella, Victoria, the blonde kid and Edward were nowhere to be seen.

"That's not good. If they have Edward, then whatever their plan is―" Jasper's eyes widened as Alice screamed and then a blurry figure flashed by and grabbed Alice by her neck.

The figure threw Alice on the ground. Jasper's fists clenched and he looked at the figure through slit eyes. I suddenly felt different emotions raging inside me. I understood then what Jasper was doing as Bella turned around with an angry look. He was trying to manipulate her emotions. We all promised Edward we wouldn't hurt Bella. This was the best way we could deal with her without hurting her. After all, she was the biggest problem we had at the moment.

Bella growled angrily that we all took a step back except for Jasper. He concentrated on Bella as she gave out another growl. She suddenly disappeared that made Jasper frown. The next thing we saw was Bella standing right in front of him as she snarled and then tackled him down to the ground.

"Bella, please" he said softly as he looked at her straight in the eye.

Bella's eyes, however, were glazed as if she was not being herself. She looked like a different person as her head cocked to the side. She was about to snap her teeth into his neck when Alice screamed. Bella looked up to see Alice run towards her but she just smirked. She stood up from the ground and was on a crouch ready to attack.

My instinct to protect my sister kicked in as I moved to face Bella. Her lips twitched into a devious smile that almost made my spine shiver. I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently trying to bring back the Bella we saw a few days ago.

"Bella, this is wrong. Whatever she told you was a lie. Let us explain" I said as I looked her straight in the eye.

Her lips curled as I saw anger flash on her face.

"What?! And _lie_ to me again?!!" she put so much emphasis on the word lie that I winced.

"This is wrong, Bella. And you know it" I tried again.

"We're your family. You belong with us. Not with her" I continued.

Bella gave out a ferocious snarl.

"I don't belong with anyone!" she growled.

She had gotten hold of my wrists and she twisted them in a very awkward way that I felt pain shooting up my arm. She suddenly jumped up and kicked me in the back. I hit the ground with a loud thud. It was the second time that Bella had hit me and put me on the ground. I hope it wasn't going to be a habit of hers when this was all done. If she wasn't Bella, I would've probably snapped her neck by now. I heard a low groan coming from the wooded area. I turned around to the direction of the sound and I saw Edward on his knees with his hands on his back and was being held up by Victoria in almost the same awkward position I was in earlier. Edward was looking at us with a pained expression.

"Bella" he whispered so softly that it was like he hardly spoke at all but Bella heard him.

She looked up to see him looking at her, pleading for her to stop. She was about to scoff but her eyes glazed over again and her head snapped towards Jasper's direction. She let my wrists go and I felt the pain slowly go away.

"What did you say?!" She demanded as she grabbed Jasper by his collar.

"I didn―" She cut him off with a growl and then she suddenly let go of him.

She shook her head as she tried looking at each of us as if she was trying to figure something out. She looked puzzled and then she looked at us then back at Edward. She suddenly cried in pain out of nowhere. She grabbed her head and covered her ears as she trashed her head back and forth.

"What are you doing to me?! Make it stop!! Make them stop!!" Bella pleaded.

We all looked at her confused and helpless. What the hell was happening to her?!

Carlisle carefully approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. The moment Carlisle touched her shoulder Bella looked up with a pained look. She looked at all of us confused and her gaze landed on Edward. Then, she turned around and ran.

"No! No… Not again" Jasper groaned as he clutched his chest and knelt down on the ground. He grabbed the grass on ground and clenched his fists tightly. He was breathing unevenly. He pulled the grass from the ground as he looked up to the sky and gave out a loud scream.

We all ran to his side immediately. Alice knelt down beside him and grabbed hold of his hand. Carlisle knelt on his other side and placed an arm on his shoulder as he tried to calm him down. Esme ran her hand up and down Jasper's back as she tried to soothe him.

"Breathe, son" Carlisle said softly.

A hysterical laugh made all of us look up. Victoria was walking towards us with the blonde boy following who was gripping Edward's wrists tightly behind his back.

"Well, well… That was quite a show, don't you think?" she said as soon as she stopped about twenty feet away from us.

All of us were immediately in our defensive crouches in front of Jasper as Victoria approached. Jasper was still breathing unevenly as he tried to stand up only to fall down again. He winced as he looked up to meet Victoria's gaze.

"What did you do to her?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Me? I didn't do anything" she said innocently.

"I was just watching over there. Don't accuse me" she continued.

I growled at her. Yeah right. She definitely did something to make Bella act that way.

Victoria raised an eyebrow at me.

"I wouldn't be acting that way if I were you" she pointed her finger at me.

I was about to pounce on her when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Jasper was breathing a bit more evenly now compared to a few minutes ago. He shook his head at me and then moved forward.

"What did you tell her?" Jasper asked as he got down on his own defensive crouch.

"Tell her? I just told her to give us a show so Edward here could see all of it happening. Of course, the last bit wasn't what I expected. She wasn't supposed to run away. Nonetheless, it was great" she said in a mocking tone as she motioned for the blonde boy to put Edward on his knees.

"What. Did. You. Tell. Her?" he asked again this time through his gritted teeth.

"I didn't tell her _anything_. I was just showing Edward how loyal Bella is to me" Victoria said as she ran her hand through Edward's hair.

Edward shook her hand off his head. Victoria smirked and lifted his chin up to face her.

"Now, do you believe me?" she said in a whisper.

She looked up again and started taunting Jasper.

Edward turned his head away from her and looked at me with a pained expression. It was like he was trying to say something to me but he couldn't. I wonder if that blonde boy had some sort of power that was making Edward stay on his knees. Edward made his eyes go up and down once. I saw Alice cocked her head slightly at me with a slight frown on her face. Wait… Did Edward just answer my question? That boy had some power?!

Edward rolled his eyes at me but none of them seemed to have noticed our little exchange except for Alice. Now, this gives me an advantage. I just have to figure out how I could pounce on the kid and get rid of him at the same time. I saw Alice's eyes glaze in the corner of my eye then she gave me a very small nod.

Alright! This was going to work! I just had to figure out how I was going to do this. I had to do it when they would least expect it. Oh man! It would be easier if I could make all of them know about it. Wait… That's it! Oh wow! This is the best idea ever!!! I have to do this slowly. I can't make them suspicious… Come on Jasper pick this up! Jeez, can't he feel how excited I am?! This should get his attention… but of course, he can't let Victoria know that… right…

_Edward, is he getting this?_ I asked in my head as I continued to stay in my defensive crouch.

Edward looked at Jasper with the same expression he used on me. Jasper's lips twitched for a tenth of a second and I knew then that he got that I would be up to something. I mentally rubbed my hands together. I'm a fcuking genius, seriously!

All I have to do now is to wait for the right moment.

_Let me know when, Edward. I'll be ready._

**BPOV**

"Why?" Edward asked softly.

Pain was evident on his voice. He was on his knees and was looking at me straight in the eye. He had this pained look on his face which tugged at the corners of my chest. I brushed it off and snarled at him instead.

"Hush, my dear. We're almost done here" I heard Victoria say.

She put a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to face her. She gave me a slight nod and then I moved to the side so she could stand in front of him. Victoria put her hand on Edward's chin and forced him to look at her.

"You ask why? You know very well why Edward" she said and leaned in closer.

"Mate for a mate… Well, in this case… Your family for a mate" she whispered in his ears.

I felt my fists clench as I listened to Victoria. I closed my eyes tightly as I fought the gaping hole that was attempting to open up. I wasn't supposed to feel this way. I was supposed to be furious at him. He lied to me. They all lied to me.

_But, what if they did that for a reason?_ A voice in my head called out.

I gritted my teeth as I tried to drown out the voice that was defending the Cullens. I don't know where it was coming from. It was probably an unconscious part of my brain trying to reason out with me. It knows something but it wasn't telling me what I need to know.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Riley looking at me with a worried expression. I shook my head and I put my attention back to Victoria and Edward. I couldn't look at Edward though. There was something wrong with the whole scenario. One look from Victoria to Riley and I knew what was going to happen next. I couldn't look at Edward. It was too painful for me to look.

I shifted my gaze towards the fight that was happening at the moment. Smoke was starting to fog up the entire clearing. Riley had stopped some newborns from attacking the Cullens. I watched Emmett rip apart a newborn into pieces and throwing it to the nearest fire. The Cullens started to regroup in the middle of the field.

_Even the strongest of us fall off the wagon. _A familiar velvety voice echoed in my head and my head snapped up to look at Edward.

Victoria was taunting him, telling him that he would be suffering for eternity. What the hell? Victoria had his arms twisted in an awkward way. Riley was making him immobile which would make it impossible for him to be saying something like that.

My head turned around to see the Cullens all regrouped in the middle of the field as I heard Alice's voice say my name. I don't think she was talking to me. It looked like she answered Emmett's question.

_It's different for us._ Edward's voice echoed in my head again. His voice was hopeful.

I looked back at Edward to find him being shoved to the ground. And then it started. Edward's voice echoed through my head loudly. He was saying different things that didn't make any sense to me. It was starting and ending at different times. His words were banging in my head as if trying to make me realize something.

_Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can appreciate the bouqet… The glory of fist love and all that… Mind over matter… Do I dazzle you?… I'm stronger than I thought… Music in the fifties was good… Human memories fade… And so the lion fell in love with the lamb… I have human instincts – they may be buried deep but they're there… We have to get you away from here… I don't want to be without you, Bella… Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight… Be safe… It's nice to know… Enough for forever…"_

His last words echoed through my head. I was shaking my head furiously. I closed my eyes as I tried to drive _his_ voice away but they kept echoing through my head. I haven't even noticed my hands gripping the sides of my head.

"Bella" Victoria said in a firm tone.

I looked up to see the three of them looking at me with different expressions on their faces. I took a deep breath before I answered.

"Yes?" I asked.

I tilted my head to the side and focused on Victoria. The voice started to quiet down but it was still there.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Everything's alright, Victoria" I said in a monotone.

"Good… I was just telling Edward, here, how loyal you are to me. Isn't that right?" she said.

"Yes. I am loyal to you"

"And you would do anything I say?" she asked.

"Anything you say, Victoria" I said and I looked her in the eye.

I sounded like a very obedient pet but that was what I was. _Her_ pet.

"If I asked you to bring me the heads of those two newborns that are headed for the Cullens, would you do it?"

I nodded then I turned around to run towards the newborns she was talking about. I ripped both of their heads off from their bodies. I left the remains writhing on the ground and I returned to where the three of them had moved. They were closer to the wooded area now that gave a view of the whole clearing.

I dropped the heads in front of Victoria and then moved to the side.

"See? Do you see how loyal she is to me? She would do anything for me" Victoria stated.

"Hmm… I'm up for a little show. I want some real action, don't you?" She paused to look at Edward.

Edward's eyes widened and I wondered what was going on. He probably read her mind. Something horrible… My eyes flicked to the Cullens who were in the middle of the field.

"Bella, give us a little show. Play around with them… Start with the little one" Victoria pointed to Alice.

Alice turned around and her eyes widened. My instinct kicked in and I moved so fast that none of them realized that I was at the center of the field. Alice screamed and I grabbed her by the neck and raised her little figure. I threw her against the ground as I felt different emotions raging through me. I turned around and saw Jasper looking at me through slit eyes. The monster in me decided to take over as I growled in fury. He was controlling my emotions. He tried looking at me straight in the eye but my anger was overpowering me as I gave out another growl. I took him by surprise as I jumped from my position. He frowned as he tried to look for me. I landed on my feet right in front of him and I tackled him to the ground.

"Bella, please" Jasper pleaded softly.

My head cocked to the side and I just wanted to snap my teeth on his neck. Maybe that would shut him up. As I was about to break his neck, I heard Alice scream from behind me. I turned around to see her running towards me. I smirked as I thought of her attacking me. I stood up from the ground and crouched ready for her attack.

Emmett stepped in front of me as Alice neared me. Yes, a better challenge. A smile escaped my lips as I thought of how I was going to fight him off. But his action caught me off guard. He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me gently.

"Bella, this is wrong. Whatever she told you was a lie. Let us explain" he said as he looked me straight in the eye.

My lips curled back as he said those things.

"What?! And _lie_ to me again?!!" I noticed him wince as I yelled.

"This is wrong, Bella. And you know it. We're your family. You belong with us. Not with her"

I snarled loudly and he stepped back.

"I don't belong with _anyone_!" I growled at him.

I grabbed hold of his wrists and then twisted them in the same way that Victoria had Edward earlier. I jumped high and then kicked his back. I watched him fall to the ground with a loud thud. I landed on his back as I gave him another kick. I smirked as he groaned at the impact.

"Bella" Edward's voice whispered softly.

I thought it was the same voice in my head again but I looked up to see him looking at me. He looked like he was pleading for me to stop. I was about to laugh at him when I heard a different voice.

_You're wrong, you know._ The slight southern drawl made my head snap towards Jasper's direction. I stood up from my position and let go off Emmett's wrists.

"What did you say?!" I demanded as I grabbed Jasper by his collar.

He looked at me confused.

"I didn‒" I growled at him refusing to believe that it wasn't him who said those words. He said it so clearly that it was like he was standing right in front of him.

_We're so glad that you came. _My head turned towards Esme's direction. She was clutching Carlisle's sleeve but it didn't look like she talked. Just as the voice finished, another one started.

_Don't do anything funny while I'm gone! _Emmett said out loud as he laughed. I looked to see Emmett staring at me. No. It couldn't have been him.

_You're what he wants_. Esme's voice echoed in my head again.

_What is she to me? _Rosalie hissed.

_It's nice to finally meet you. _Alice said cheerfully.

_So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?_ Carlisle asked.

My head whipped from one Cullen to the other. Their voices were echoing simultaneously in my head.

_You are my life now._ Edward said and I looked at him. He was in the same position as he was earlier.

Their voices started again. They were all saying different things to me. I tried covering my ears.

"What are you doing to me?! Make it stop!! Make them stop!" I pleaded as I tried to shake off the voices. I didn't know who it was but somebody was definitely doing something.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see Carlisle looking at me worried. The voices weren't going away. They were just getting louder and louder.

_I love you_.

I looked at Edward and suddenly the gaping hole in my chest was threatening to open again. I turned around and ran far away from them. I knew Jasper felt it. I heard him groan in pain. I had to get away from them. I couldn't let him feel that. It was my pain and mine alone.

I ran as fast as I could to no particular destination but my feet seemed to know where to go. I kept running until I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed to the ground as I felt a stabbing pain on my chest and the hole opened up. I screamed in agony as I felt the pain literally eating me alive. It was hitting every nerve, every cell, and every part of my body. My vision started to blur and then it turned to a very bright light and I couldn't see anything.

I screamed as I felt another set of pain pierce through my body. My body convulsed and I rolled to my stomach as I tried to manipulate the pain. I opened my eyes but saw nothing. Everything was a very bright white and it blinded me. A sob escaped my chest and I closed my eyes again.

I stayed in the same position for a few more minutes until the pain lessened a tiny bit. The voices were getting softer and softer in my head. I started to hear the area surrounding me. The wind was blowing softly and there was a light drizzle. I waited about five more minutes before I opened my eyes.

I winced as I took in my surroundings. Everything was still bright but they were all starting to come back to their original state. I tried to sit up as my vision started to clear. I stood up slowly and almost lost my balance but I was able to hold myself up.

The sound of a snapping twig made me turn around. I turned around so fast that my head actually spun making me close my eyes.

"What are you doing here, leech?" A deep voice hissed.

I opened my eyes to see a tall young boy with long hair tied to a pony tail. His body was well built and muscular. I suddenly noticed the musky scent that surround the area. I didn't notice where I was running but somehow I ended up being here.

"Answer me leech!" the boy demanded.

My lips curled back at his insult.

"It's none of your business, dog" I hissed as I crouched down.

The boy's eyes widened as he looked at me and then took a step back.

"Bella?"

I glared at him.

"How do you know my name?" I asked in an angry tone.

The boy stood there with his mouth opening and closing. After a few seconds of gathering himself, he cleared his throat and looked at me straight in the eye.

"It's me… Jacob… Don't you remember?"

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Please don't kill me! I know I said the wolves won't be involved but I couldn't resist. Don't worry though. There won't be the love triangle stuff going on. The wolves are gonna play a very very minor part on this fic. I did mention however that Jacob would be involved somehow so please don't kill me…:D**

**To clarify some stuff about this chapter, the voices in Bella's head are just random quotes from Twilight and New Moon. I have no intention of stealing them I'm just borrowing them for this story. The whole chapter might be a bit confusing but I promise everything will be explained later!  
**

**With that out of the way, please please review this chapter! It took me awhile to get this together because I seriously didn't know how I was going to write it down. This was how it ended up so please let me know!**

**As usual, comments, suggestions, questions are welcome!**


	17. The Truth

**A/N: Sorry this took longer than expected. I got side tracked on this one since I was figuring out the reason behind it. It took me awhile to come up with the answer to the why… You'll see what I'm talking about. **

**I'd like to take this time to thank the people who reviewed the previous chapter. I know a lot of you were a bit hesitant with Jacob. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if I wanted to add him or not but he was in the original outline then got deleted and he went back again. I realized he really had a part in all of this. You'll see why…**

**I can't believe this is coming to a close... Probably two to three more chapters left!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM does.**

_**Chapter 17: The Truth**_

**BPOV**

I stared at the boy standing in front of me. His facial expression was a mix of shock, anger, confusion but mostly shock. I guess he didn't know I was changed either. Not much of a surprise. It seems like the only ones who were really aware of my change was Riley and Victoria. If there was one person who would know the truth, it was me. The problem was whatever I do I can't seem to remember anything. I get the flashbacks and the voices but none of them ever made sense. What if I never remember anything? Would I make the right choice then? I would have to think about that later. I had bigger problems at the moment. This one was in the form of a boy who turns into a wolf.

"You don't remember" he stated as a matter of fact.

"No, I don't. Should I?" I continued to stay in the same crouching position as I stared at the boy.

The boy's eyes widened again and then he started to pace back and forth. He started to mumble things to himself. I tilted my head to the side as I watched him. I caught some of the words he was saying but most of it was just cursing and hissing. He gave me side glances every so often.

"This is all my fault... I should've never left you… I should've been there... I should've stayed at home when I knew you were coming… This is all my fault… And now" he stopped to look at me then groaned. He started to pace again. "I should've been there… This is all my fault… I knew she was around the area but I continued to patrol anyway… This is all my fault…"

He kept saying it was his fault. But, why?

"What are you talking about, mutt?" I asked.

He looked at me and his eyes softened. The disgusted look he had earlier on was gone and was now replaced by pain.

"Bells, before you went missing, you went to my house. Then you told my dad that you would be going to the beach but you never came back. We followed your scent but it ended by the cliffs. We looked for you everywhere but we couldn't find you. We tried looking for the bloodsucker's scent but her scent was gone as well. It was like…" He paused and looked away.

"Like what?" I asked softly as I stood up from my crouch. I was surprised by my own voice but nonetheless I waited for his reply.

"It was like she was finished with whatever she came there for" he finished.

It sounds very much like Victoria. Once she's done, she moves on to the next not looking back. We were both silent for a few minutes. It was strange that I was finding comfort in this place. I should've been feeling threatened by the boy but I wasn't.

"I'm Jacob by the way. We used to be friends before… this" he motioned towards me.

I started to wonder what kind of human life I had. First, I find out that I had a romantic relationship with a vampire. Second, a vampire is seeking out revenge and is using me. And now, I find out I used to be friends with a werewolf. Did I really attract danger in the form of mythical creatures? What was next? Witches and faeries?

"I should really let you get back to the border now. I don't want any‒" Jacob suddenly turned around.

Numerous padded steps were thundering towards us. I heard their hammering heartbeats before I caught their scents. I growled as I realized what was coming. Did he trick me into staying?

Jacob was in front of me the moment they stepped out of the trees. One of them was in human form while the rest in their wolf forms.

"Jacob" the guy said in a tone full of authority.

"Not now, Sam…" Jacob stated with the same authority.

"She's a bloodsucker Jacob! What are you doing?!" Sam demanded.

Two of the wolves growled at me. I was shocked at the way Jacob was defending me. We were supposed to be enemies but he was here on my side, protecting me.

"I don't care what she is! She's Bella! Back off Paul… You are gonna regret it later" he threatened.

"How do you know if it's really her?! She could be someone else!" Sam yelled.

"Jacob" I said his name softly.

Jacob didn't turn around. He continued to look at Sam. His body was starting to tremble and I had a theory on what would happen if he continues to tremble that way.

"Jacob" I said more firmly.

"What?" he hissed as he turned to look at me.

I flinched at the change of his tone. He looked at me with such intensity. I could see the different emotions running through him and he was trying hard to keep them at bay.

"What if he's right? What if I'm not this Bella that you're claiming me to be?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes before answering me.

"Because I know you Bella. You may be different physically but somewhere inside my best friend's there. You just have to remember"

"But what if I can't remember, what then? I'm just gonna be another vampire passing by" I said.

One of the wolves suddenly jumped towards me but Jacob pushed me out of the way. I landed on my back as I watched Jacob fight off his pack member. Blood startled to trickle down Jacob's arm as he pushed the wolf away. Realizing what he had done, the wolf backed off and was looking at me and then Jacob. Sam's eyes widened as he watched Jacob stand up.

I hissed as I watched a drop of blood hit the ground. My sight was becoming bloody red as I continued to watch the blood drip down Jacob's arm. The scent was disgusting but at the same time it was calling me. I wanted to suck him dry. It didn't matter if it didn't taste good. It was blood. It was enough for me.

The wolves were growling at me. All of them were waiting for an order from their Alpha. I growled back at them as I stood up. Jacob looked at me and then back at his arm. It was starting to heal but blood was still coming out. I licked my lips in anticipation as I eyed the drips that were falling to the ground.

"Bella" he said looking at me.

I looked up to meet his gaze. I was about to snarl at him when I felt a tug on my chest. It wasn't pain. It was something else. For some reason, the short while I was here, the pain I felt earlier was gone. Instead it was replaced with comfort. I blinked several times as my sight returned to normal. His wound had completely healed in a matter of seconds. Sam was watching me with caution while the rest of the pack was ready to pounce.

"I… I‒" I looked at Jacob then Sam then at the wolves and back to Jacob.

I took a step back away from them. I could turn around and follow my own scent and go back to the chaos that was going on in the clearing.

The war.

I stiffened as I realized what I had done. I left the Cullens in the clearing with Victoria and the newborns. I wasn't supposed to leave but I did.

"Bella" Jacob's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him puzzled. He was standing as close as he could get to me. I could hear the protest of his pack members but he didn't give them a second look.

"Jacob, what are you‒"

I was cut off by his hand touching my face. It was warm, almost feverish. I could hear the hammering beat of his heart as it pumped blood throughout his body. I could feel the venom pool in my mouth. I closed my eyes as I swallowed the venom. I couldn't do this to Jacob. I may not remember him but he was defending me from his own pack. I owe him that much at least.

I opened my eyes to see him looking at me longingly. His face then turned into a huge grin as he pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me.

"I knew it was you!" he exclaimed.

His reaction should've surprised me but it wasn't that that made me gasp. As Jacob held me in his arms, I felt whole. I felt complete. The pain and the numbness I felt were replaced by nothing. I felt…

_"I'm ruining your spring break," Jacob accused himself as we walked back up the beach._

_"No, you're not. I didn't have any plans. I don't think I like spring breaks, anyway."_

_"I'll take tomorrow morning off. The others can run without me. We'll do something fun."_

_The word seemed out of place in my life right now, barely comprehensible, bizarre. _

_"Fun?"_

_"Fun is exactly what you need. Hmm…" he gazed out across the heaving gray waves, deliberating. As his eyes scanned the horizon, he had a flash of inspiration._

_"Got it!" he crowed. "Another promise to keep."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_He let go of my hand and pointed toward the southern edge of the beach, where the flat, rocky half-moon dead-ended against the sheer sea cliffs. I stared, uncomprehending._

_"Didn't I promise to take you cliff diving?"_

_I shivered._

_"Yeah, it'll be pretty cold—not as cold as it is today. Can you feel the weather changing? The pressure? It will be warmer tomorrow. You up for it?"_

_The dark water did not look inviting, and, from this angle, the cliffs looked even higher than before._

_"Sure, I'm up for it. Fun."_

_"It's a date," he said, and draped his arm around my shoulders. (Credit: New Moon)_

I snapped out of the flashback. _She_ lied. _She _said I jumped off the cliff to end my life but I wasn't. I was doing it for fun… It wasn't what _she_ said. _She_ made it all up. I didn't beg _her_ to kill me. Emmett was right. _She_ planned this ahead of time. My eyes grew wide at my realization. It doesn't matter if I don't remember my past. What matters most is now and the future. I don't want to be under Victoria anymore. I was going to make a huge mistake if I keep listening to her. I suddenly pulled away from Jacob's embrace.

"What's wrong Bella?" he asked worried.

"I'm telling you Jacob she's going to lose it! Now step back!" Sam demanded again.

Jacob continued to look at me and ignored Sam's demands. It was odd since I thought Sam was the Alpha but it looks like Jacob had authority as well.

I swallowed the venom that pooled my mouth.

"You told me earlier that before I went missing, my scent ended by the cliffs, correct?" I asked.

Jacob nodded.

"And on that same day, you said I went to your house but you weren't there because you were patrolling the area since you caught the scent of a vampire, correct?"

"Yes. Bella, what's going on?" I raised my hand and I continued to talk. I had to make sure I get my facts right.

"The day before that you promised to take me cliff diving?"

He nodded again. I took a deep breath and then looked at him again.

"Did I ever tell you who the vampire might be?"

"Victoria… the red haired female"

"Did you ever see her that day?"

"We caught a glimpse of her but she moved too fast. We tried following her scent but it ended by…" Jacob paused to look at me properly.

"She was the one who changed you, wasn't she?" he asked through gritted teeth. His body started to quiver.

"I swear if I ever get my hands on her…" Jacob started to mutter.

An idea started to form in my head. If I could get the wolves to help the Cullens, then I could at least repay them for the hospitality they had given me for the few days I was in their home. I needed answers and the only ones who could really give me that were in the clearing. Most probably suffering the wrath of Victoria and Riley. Riley… Did he know about this too? He was being lied to and he didn't even know it.

I looked at Sam who was watching me with wary eyes.

"Sam, are there deep underground caves near the area?"

Sam looked at me surprised.

"Y-yes… Up north… Why?" he asked composing himself.

I looked back at Jacob.

"Did you patrol around that area?"

"We never got that far… Why?"

"When I woke up, I was surrounded by total darkness. Even with my improved sight, I didn't see anything. I was probably miles underground…"

"She took you underground and changed you there! I'm so sorry Bella! If only I stayed with you none of this would've happened!"

He pulled me back into his arms again and held me as tight as he could. I could feel the warmth of his body as he apologized over and over again.

_If you knew what she had planned for you, Bella…_

I shivered at the voice. Jacob pulled away thinking it was because of him.

"Right. I'm sorry" he mumbled.

"Don't be… This wasn't your fault. Victoria just outsmarted all of us" I said.

"Outsmarted? All of us? It sounds like you're saying that she planned this out" Jacob huffed.

I raised an eyebrow at him pointing out the obvious.

"B-but you said she wanted to kill you! Not change you!" he exclaimed.

"According to her, that was her original plan… She said it changed because I begged her to kill me… That it wouldn't have made a difference…"

"You wouldn't…"

"I believed her at first… But now, I know what I was thinking when I jumped off the cliff…"

"You remember?"

I shook my head.

"I remember the day before that when you promised you'll take me cliff diving"

"How?" he asked confused.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Their musky scent filled my nostrils. I should've been disgusted but I wasn't.

"I've been having flashbacks these past few days… I had an overwhelming number of voices in my head earlier. It was driving me crazy that's why I ended up on your land. And then just a few minutes ago, I saw you and I walking by the beach… You were promising me that you would take me cliff diving the next day"

I felt embarrassed having to confess that to Jacob. He must think that I'd lost my head already. Having all these voices in my head was driving me insane.

"Sorry to interrupt your little reunion but we have a little dilemma going on here" a husky voice said.

"Shut up Quil" Jacob rolled his eyes.

I turned around to see that half of the pack was in their human form. The rest had backed out to the woods.

The boy who talked raised a hand towards me.

"Hi Bella… It's Quil, if you don't remember" he grinned.

I smiled back at him. I was surprised that they had trusted me that quick.

"We're still on our guard, Bella but we know you have some sort of control over your thirst… Considering earlier… But your eyes are a dead giveaway as to why we can't still trust you" Sam said answering my questioned look.

I nodded at him understanding what he meant.

"So, what is the bigger plan, Bella?" Jacob asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

I looked up to the sky wishing that I wouldn't be too late.

"She wants me to kill the Cullens in front of Edward" I said looking back at each of them.

They all gasped in surprise.

"What makes her think you could do that?!" Jacob asked after recovering from shock.

"She thinks that after I kill all the Cullens, Edward would be left alone just like he left me alone. She thinks that I would want Edward to feel the pain I felt when he left me alone. She thinks that Edward deserved to feel the pain of being alone for eternity" I explained.

"He should… But you don't want to" Jacob stated. It wasn't a question.

I shook my head slowly as I bit my lower lip. I ignored his earlier comment but I would ask him about that later. It was only a matter of time before someone comes here looking for me to finish the job.

"What do you want us to do, Bella?" Sam asked.

I gave him a small smile thankful that he got what I was trying to say since earlier.

"This is what we do…"

**EPOV**

Emmett better wipe that smug look on his face or else Victoria would know something was up. Victoria was taunting my family. I wanted to snap her head off but I couldn't. I was glued to the ground and there was nothing I could do about it. I could feel the pressure pushing me down to the ground. It was holding me in place and wasn't allowing me to make any movement. It had something to do with that Riley who was standing behind Victoria.

The moment Bella moved towards Alice, I felt the pressure pushing harder and harder as she moved away. And when she ran, the pressure was too much leaving my body completely immobilized to the spot.

Could it be that Bella was shielding me all this time? I didn't know the full extent on what she could do but Jasper said something about Bella's gift. She didn't tell him about it but he guessed since I couldn't hear his thoughts when Bella was near the house. All the newborn's minds were closed off from mine as they entered the field but when she left, their thoughts were a scramble heading to nowhere in particular.

But why would she be shielding me from Riley's powers? I saw the fury in her eyes when she growled at me. She proved to me just how loyal she was to Victoria. She attacked Alice when Victoria told her to do so.

She hated me. But… Why did she run? I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what had transpired earlier. I groaned as I felt a kick on my side. I opened my eyes to see Victoria smirking at me.

"Too bad you had to endure this longer than expected… If only she didn't run, we could've started this earlier…" she said.

"Riley! Go after Bella… I need her to finish this job now" she demanded as she turned around to look at the blonde boy standing beside her.

The boy nodded and ran towards the direction Bella went. I felt the pressure slowly disappear and I started to feel my limbs again. I would've moved then and there but Emmett's plan would backfire on us. I had to wait for the right moment.

Bella had that glazed look earlier. She was having a flashback. She had the same look on her face when she had the flashback in my house. I didn't know if it would benefit us or not but it made her run away from Victoria. Hopefully, so she could clear her head. I could only hope and pray that Bella would give me a chance to explain things first before it's too late.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I'll be honest. This chapter didn't go the way I expected it to go. Original plan was Bella gets into a fight with Jacob first and then just as she was about to kill him, she gets the different flashbacks starting the day Jake promised her cliff diving and then work backwards. I realized it was time consuming and a lot of copying (which I don't want to do!!) so I decided to just tempt Bella!! It came out better, I think… And this was supposed to be just Bella's POV but I decided to give you a short POV of Edward.**

**What about you? What do you think? Should I have gone with the original plan or this one works out?**

**Comments, suggestions and questions are always welcome!**


	18. Its not over til its over

**A/N: Before you read, I just wanted to let you guys know that this story has been nominated at the Immortal Cookie Awards. I want to say thank you to ****Mimi-Love-4ever**** for nominating this story under Best Angst (K-T) category. **

**A huge thank you to all of those who are still keeping up with this story. The end is just around the corner and I wouldn't have done it without your guys support!**

**Okay, go enjoy this action packed chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. If something sounds similar, I didn't intend for that to happen. No copyright infringement intended.**

_**Chapter 18: It's not over 'til it's over.**_

**EPOV**

Victoria's grip on me tightened as the minutes passed by. She was starting to get furious. It had been more than half an hour since the boy, Riley, followed Bella. Until now, neither of them had returned. The newborns holding each member of my family were starting to get restless. Their thoughts were still a mess but one thing was clear. They wanted to get out of here and satisfy their thirst instead.

They weren't the only ones getting restless.

_Come on Edward, let me do it now. She's all alone with no one to help her! We can take her down easily!_ Emmett growled internally.

He really couldn't wait a few more minutes. He was going to screw this up if we didn't do it at the right time. There were still a lot of newborns on the side watching Victoria with wary eyes. It was obvious they were waiting for orders. One wrong move and we would all be burning in pieces.

_Edward! I keep checking the future but I can't see anything! We have to do something now before it's too late! _Alice directed her thoughts towards me.

This wasn't good. If our future disappeared, then that could mean only one thing… There was no way I wouldn't allow for that to happen. If somebody was going to die in this fight, there would only be Victoria and her army.

The wind suddenly blew. Something was mixed in the air. The smell of wet dog was faint but for some reason, I had a feeling that it was going to get stronger. What were the dogs doing in our land?

_Son, did you smell that?_ Carlisle asked in his head.

Just as fast as it had come, the scent was gone. It was as if it wasn't there in the first place. Maybe the wind just blew it towards our direction? Before I even pondered more on it, an angry snarl snapped me out of my thoughts.

My head turned towards the direction of the sound but there was nothing there but trees. What the hell? I could've sworn something was there earlier. Victoria grabbed a handful of my hair and forced me look at my family again. She twisted my arm at an awkward angle making it difficult for me to move my arms.

"Since _my_ dear pet isn't here to finish her job, I guess I would have to do this my way" Victoria whispered menacingly in my ear.

"You didn't think I had a back-up plan, did you?" she continued.

"Why do you think I bothered with so many newborns?"

"Three and a half years of planning… I have to make sure that each and every single one of you will suffer!" she shouted each word with rage.

"Especially, YOU! You will suffer the most! All of this for a stupid, little, puny human!"

Just as she said the last part, I couldn't take it anymore. I growled and pulled my arm back. I had no idea how strong Victoria could be but I was able to pull my arms with just one tug. I kicked her in the stomach and she went flying towards the trees. The tree broke in half as she collided with it. I was down on my defensive crouch as she got up on her own crouch.

She smirked as she looked behind me.

I could see my family in their own fight as I looked through Victoria's thoughts.

_It's not yet over, Edward._ Her voice taunted.

_You will watch as each member of your so-called family gets torn into pieces over and over again. You will listen to their cries of agony as they plead for me to end their pain. You will smell the scent of their limbs burning as I end their existence. You will feel the emptiness that you deserve. You will feel what it's like to have nothing at all._

I shook her voice off my head and I lunged for her but she was quick. She was expecting me to attack her. I followed her around the clearing as I watched her moves in her head. I smirked as she tried to lose me.

Not going to happen.

We moved around the clearing for a few minutes before I found the perfect opportunity to get a hold of her. Just as she thought that she could dodge me, I sprung for her neck. My hand grabbed her by the neck and I slammed her against the ground.

"It's over for you" I sneered at her.

She raised an eyebrow at me. Her look mocked me as if I was missing something.

"You really think so?" she smirked and then turned her head slightly towards the middle of the field.

I heard the sound of metal being torn apart and a scream of agony. I looked up to where Victoria was looking at and my heart sank. Alice was on the ground with one of her hand behind her back. Her other arm was detached from her body and was in the hand of the newborn. I watched Jasper's eyes turn into slits as he lunged for the newborn who attacked his mate. Just as he was about the snap its head off, the newborn he was fighting previously took the opportunity to attack him from behind. I watched in horror as Jasper tried to fight the two newborns off of him.

Alice continued to scream in pain as she struggled to help Jasper fight the newborns. I suddenly felt pain shot from my chest. My hands buckled as the pain lingered for a few seconds. Victoria took the opportunity to get out of my grasp. My eyes went back to hers.

We stood in front of each other in our own crouches. I had my back facing the clearing as I watched her every move. She had a hand over her chest. She felt the pain as much as I did. We were both breathing heavily as we stared each other down. Neither of us were backing down.

"I'm thinking of keeping the empath… He would help double the pain you should feel… The pain of feeling a lost loved one…" Victoria's voice was taunting again.

She paused as she jeered at me.

"It's perfect…" She said as she looked up and then a devious smile slowly crept up her face.

"Well… Well… Look who's back" She said as she stood up.

I turned my head to where she was looking at. I watched Jasper get knocked down on the ground by something or someone that was moving fast. The newborns that Jasper was fighting got knocked off in the process. Both figures got back on their feet as fast and lunged for their attacker. The familiar figure gave out an angry growl as it grabbed the first newborn that reached her. She held onto the newborn's shirt and circled it around knocking off the incoming attack from the other newborn.

"Aren't we lucky we get to watch a show?" Victoria whispered suddenly behind me.

I was so distracted with what was happening at the field that I didn't notice her move. She grabbed both of my arms and twisted one arm at the same awkward angle as she did before. I had no idea where she learned that trick from but it worked. It was difficult for me to move. She turned me around and made me kneel down on my knees.

"Let's watch carefully, shall we?" she purred in my ear.

Bella's head snapped in our direction. She locked her eyes with mine. Her look was glazed and then a sly grin crept on her face for a tenth of a second. She winked in my direction as she dodge the newborn heading for her. Her eyes went back to the newborns heading her way.

It seemed like she winked at me. Looking back at it, I wasn't sure. She might've blinked for all I know. I continued to look at her for any indication of what she meant but her eyes were focused on her fight. Victoria didn't seem to notice our little exchange as she cackled.

It was amazing to watch her move so gracefully as she avoided each move of the newborns that were trying to get a hold of her. It was as if she was reading their every move and she was evading it in a swift. She moved so fast that it looked like she was floating in the air and not stepping on the ground anymore.

Bella stopped and caught both newborns off guard. She grabbed the closest one to Jasper and tore off its arms just as the other headed towards her. She kicked the newborn headed her way as she snapped the limbs of the newborn she was holding.

I suddenly had the urge to get away from Victoria's grip and shred the newborn to shreds. However, Victoria had other plans.

"No… You're staying here to watch" she whispered as she put more pressure on my arm that was twisted.

I tried ignoring the pain shooting up my arm and focused on how I could reverse our position.

I watched Bella tore the limbs off of the second newborn in seconds. She threw the limbs on the side then crouched down to Jasper who was holding Alice. She grabbed Alice's arm that was removed and gave it to him.

"Go near the border… You'll be safe there" she whispered softly to Jasper.

"Bella" Alice said softly.

Bella gave her a small smile then looked at Jasper. He nodded at her then picked Alice up from the ground. He ran towards the trees. He was gone in a flash of a second.

This time, Victoria saw everything that happened. Her thoughts were furious. I could feel her tightening her grip on my arm. I winced at the pain that shot up my arm but she didn't notice. Her eyes were trained on Bella.

Bella gracefully stood up from her crouch. She still had the same glazed look that she had earlier. She tilted her head to side as she looked at Victoria straight in the eye. Victoria's eyes turned into slits as she continued to gaze at her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Victoria asked in a stone cold voice.

Bella shrugged.

"I don't know… What do you think?" she asked.

Victoria glared at her.

"You think you got this all figured out, haven't you?" Victoria challenged.

Bella raised an eyebrow at her.

"You said you wanted a show didn't you?" Bella asked her back.

Victoria was taken aback by her question. She was confused.

"W-what? What are you talking about?!" she demanded.

Bella huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Earlier, you said you wanted to see a show… And just a few minutes ago, you told Edward that you're lucky you get to watch the show… Now, I'm giving you a show and you didn't even watch" Bella answered in a disappointed tone.

I looked at Bella confused. I didn't see where she was getting at. Apparently, Victoria was still confused.

Bella huffed again and then shook her head.

"Look around you Victoria… Where's your army?"

It took me a few seconds to realize what she was getting at. I took the same time to scan the clearing. There was a thin smoky fog that was covering the clearing due to the smoke from the small bonfires. I could've sworn that there were about a dozen more newborns when Victoria pinned me to the ground earlier. The clearing was empty except for the two newborns that were left. They were surrounded by Carlisle and Emmett and two huge dark shaped figures. In mere minutes, strangled screams of pain echoed through the area. The sound of metallic screeching ended in a couple of minutes. Panic started to creep on me as I realized that Rosalie and Esme were nowhere to be seen.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. It was only then that I noticed the musky scent. It was strong and was concentrated near the trees.

I heard Victoria gasp behind me but she quickly recovered.

Bella smirked at her reaction. She had her hands on her hips.

"So? Did you enjoy the show?" she asked.

Victoria glared at her and then the two huge figures that approached Bella. Victoria's eyes looked like they would bulge out as soon as she watched the huge wolves stop on each side of Bella not even giving her a second glance. The russet-colored wolf took a step forward but Bella stopped him.

"No, Jake… I have things to settle" she said softly and continued to stare at Victoria.

The wolf took a step back but continued to eye Victoria warily. Her hands went to her side and I watched her clench and unclench her fist. I watched Carlisle and Emmett cautiously approach Bella. They stopped right beside the wolves knowing that Bella won't let them go further. Carlisle's head tilted to the side as if asking me a question.

I looked at him confused but shook my head slightly.

Bella must've noticed our exchange. I watched her unclench her fist for the fifth time and then I was suddenly bombarded by thoughts. I could hear Emmett's and Carlisle's thoughts clearly. They were furious for what happened with Alice at the same time they were curious as to what Bella was up to. The wolves' thoughts were going everywhere. It was like they were talking to the whole pack in their heads.

"Things to settle?" Victoria's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

She cackled hysterically as she let my arm go. Victoria grabbed my hair and smashed my head to the ground. If I was human, my skull would've probably cracked killing me instantly. However, that wasn't the case. I felt the contact of the ground to my forehead. It felt like a pinch but then Victoria placed her foot on my head and applied pressure burying my face into the ground.

I heard the dogs wince at the sound my head hitting the ground. I had enough of being treated as the weak one today. Victoria knew my weakness and used it against me. But now, knowing that Bella was against Victoria gave me a newfound strength. She may not be on my side right now but I know there was time to talk later.

I used my arms to heave myself up taking Victoria off guard. I stood up swiftly as I watched her stumble backwards. My lips curled back as I watched her crouch down. Bella was in front of me in a second. She placed a hand on my chest to stop me.

"I have things to settle" Bella repeated herself not looking at me.

**BPOV**

The leaves rustled behind me. I looked behind to see a red-brown colored wolf following me closely. For some reason, there was something familiar about the wolf. I tilted my head to the side as I watched him go to my side. He titled his head to the side as if asking a question.

"Jake?" I asked softly.

The wolf gave a nod then pointed his nose forward.

I nodded.

"We have to be extra quiet for this to work. We can't let them suspect that they're missing newborns…" I paused and looked at him.

"You know what to do, right?" I asked.

He gave another nod.

"Alright… I'll be back in a minute… Make sure the other guys are here waiting… It needs to be done quick" I said making sure he got it.

I chuckled softly as I watched him roll his eyes.

I turned my head back towards the clearing. I silently approached the area and then stopped as I had the perfect view of the clearing to observe what was going on. Edward was on his knees while Victoria was gripping his arms on his back. Each of the Cullens had a newborn holding them down the same way that Victoria was holding Edward. There were about six other newborns on the side waiting for orders. I smirked inside knowing that there was no way they would obey Victoria now that Riley was gone.

I shuddered internally as I my mind wandered back to what happened earlier. I was talking with the wolves when I heard the sound of scraping metal and cries of agony. I had thought that maybe one of the newborn got restless and decided to go away. I was wrong. Riley was in pieces by the time I got to where the wolves fought him off. There was nothing I could do for him anymore. It hurt to see him hurt that way but I knew he deserved that too. He lied to me. He knew the whole plan Victoria came up with and he pretended he didn't know.

I shook the thoughts off my head and watched as Emmett squirm furiously under the grip of the newborn. Alice had a panicked look on her face as I watched her face glaze over and over again.

I wonder what she was seeing?

The wind suddenly blew and I could smell the scent of the wolves in the air. I quickly rounded the whole area twice in a minute to diminish the scent. I completely forgot that Jacob's scent on me was still strong. I knew the Cullens became aware of the scent as I watched them wrinkle their noses in disgust. Some of the newborns looked around to see if they would find the source of the scent. Thankfully enough, Victoria seemed oblivious to what just happened.

I sighed internally.

Then a newborn was suddenly in front of me. It gave out an angry snarl. I quickly jumped on it and covered its mouth. I grabbed its left arm and put it on its back. It struggled under my hold and it tried to pry my fingers off its mouth. I ran swiftly towards the place I knew the wolves would be waiting. The moment I knew I was far enough from the clearing, I let two of my fingers slide to the side of the newborns mouth. It tried to bite my fingers off but I let my fingers rest on the inside of its cheek. I twisted its head and then snapped it off as two huge wolves approached. I left the body on the forest floor and dropped its head.

"Tear it apart and burn it quick" I instructed.

I didn't wait to look back at what they did. I knew they would do it. It was their job and I knew they would do it perfectly. I heard the faint sound of metal being torn apart as I ran towards the clearing.

I knew I missed some things that happened in the clearing. I went to a different spot this time. The newborns might get suspicious if I stick to one spot.

"… All this for a stupid, little, puny human!" I heard Victoria yell out angrily.

I felt my frame tremble with fury as I watched Edward growl and pull his arm from Victoria's grip. He kicked her in the stomach and she went flying through the trees. The both of them were on defensive crouches in an instant.

Seeing Victoria distracted, I took the opportunity to put my plan into action. I ran back and forth behind the Emmett and Rosalie. Two newborns on the side quickly caught my scent and I led them back to the forest. The wolves were waiting just as I had told them

"Enjoy guys" I said to the wolves as I moved out of the way.

The running newborns were in for a surprise. None of them knew about the wolves. Victoria never told them. Two huge wolves jumped on the newborns and then three other wolves came in and help tore them apart. The feral snarls and the sound of screeching metal echoed in the forest.

"I need at least three wolves on the field when you're done" I told Jacob and then he nodded.

I ran back towards the clearing. I could hear the padded footsteps of the wolves as they ran behind me. It was still hard to believe that the wolves were willing to help the Cullens out. At first, I thought they would think I was insane for even thinking it but then they proved me wrong. I don't know if it was because of me or they really want to help. Either way, I wouldn't really find out. After all of this, we would be going our different ways.

I felt something wet nudge my arm. I turned around to see Jacob looking at me. I gave him a small smile. Two other wolves were behind him with their tongues hanging out. I put a finger on my lips to tell them to remain quiet and then I turned around to the field.

Victoria and Edward were chasing each other around the area.

Perfect.

Victoria was distracted once again.

I motioned for the wolves to move forward.

"Now" I said.

We all ran towards the field. I watched the wolves attack the nearest newborns. Emmett was taken aback when I appeared in front of him. He had just finished decapitating a newborn and was throwing the limbs onto the fire. He was about to say something but I shook my head at him hinting him not to say it. He nodded and gave me a wink before helping out Rosalie. I turned my attention back to the fight and grabbed the newborn who was about to attack Esme.

"Not gonna happen" I muttered as I snapped its head off and threw it towards the fire.

There were quite a number of bonfires on the clearing. It made it easier to get rid of the limbs.

"Bella?" a soft voice called out.

My head snapped up to see Alice looking at me confused. I was about to tell her to talk later when I felt something collide with my body. I fell to the ground with a loud thud. I looked up just in time to see the newborn grab my dress and threw me against the trees. I went through the first one as it split in half onto another breaking it in two. I groaned as I got up.

This one was in it for it.

He was heading for me again but I moved just as he was about to reach me. His head hit the tree trunk. I went over to his crouched form and grabbed him by the neck. I flung his body farther through the trees. And then I heard somebody scream in pain. I turned my head around to see Alice on the ground writhing in pain. One of her arms was torn from her body. My eyes widened as I took in her form.

That wasn't good.

Jasper was now in front of Alice protecting her from further damage. He was fighting two newborns at the same time. I felt a sudden pang of pain on my chest. My knees gave out as my body shuddered involuntarily. It welcomed the familiar pain and was opening the hole in my chest. I tried shaking off the pain but it wasn't working.

I heard a feral snarl right in front of me. I turned my head just in time to see a huge wolf jump in front of me. Jacob struck towards the newborn and tore off a piece from its shoulder. I took a deep breath taking in the musky scent. It soothed the pain I felt temporarily. I got up from the ground and helped Jacob tear apart the newborn.

"Thanks" I whispered towards Jacob as we threw the last limb on the fire.

Jacob ran towards the other side of the field to help out his pack members as I ran towards Alice. I stood a couple of meters away from her as I surveyed her injury.

"It's perfect…" I heard Victoria say.

I turned around to look at her. Victoria's eyes bore towards my mine as I met her gaze. A devious smile slowly crept her face.

"Well… Well… Look who's back" she said.

Just then something swiped its hand towards my face. I backed away from it and turned around in a haste knocking Jasper and two newborns in the process. The two newborns looked at me with fury as they got on their feet. I watched them dive for me. I gave out an angry growl as I grabbed the first newborn. I held onto its shirt and swung it around hitting the other newborn. Both of them went flying a few feet away.

"Aren't we lucky we get to watch a show?" I heard Victoria whisper.

I felt the sides of my lips twitch.

Oh, if only she knew.

"Let's watch carefully, shall we?"

I turned my head towards their direction. Victoria had Edward kneeling on the ground again. She had his arms twisted on his back. I smirked internally as I realized how many times she had used that moved on Edward. My gaze locked with Edward's and somehow I felt that I should assure him that everything would be fine so I gave him a small grin. I heard the footsteps of the newborn as they neared me. I winked at him just as I moved away from the newborn.

I turned my attention back to the fight. I moved rapidly as I dodge their every move. I had two of them coming at me from different directions. It was a good thing that I had fought off newborns before. Their moves were always the same making it easy for me to know what the next move would be. They never progress because they move by instinct. I knew their moves very well.

I stopped as I neared Jasper again. I didn't want to hit him again. I didn't want him to think I was doing it on purpose. He was starting to get up for the attack as I stopped a couple of feet from him. I seized the first newborn to approach. I grabbed both its arms and snapped it off. I kicked the other one that was coming as I tore apart the newborn I was holding.

I heard the other newborn come at me again and I moved to the side just as I grabbed its neck. I snapped its head off quick and threw it on the same fire as the previous one. I decapitated it as fast as I could. The limbs were withering on the ground. I lit a fire quickly and gathered the limbs there.

I crouched down beside Jasper and handed him Alice's arm.

"Go near the border… You'll be safe there" I whispered to him.

"Bella" Alice said softly.

I gave her an apologetic smile and then looked at Jasper. Catching the meaning behind my words, Jasper nodded and picked up Alice from the ground. I watched him run and disappear towards the thick of the woods. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Jacob come out of the trees in human form.

I gave him a small nod. He nodded back knowing what I meant.

I stood up from my crouch to face Victoria. I looked at her straight in the eye. It was evident by the way she was holding Edward that she was getting furious. I tilted my head to side questioning her anger. Victoria's eyes darkened as I continued to stare at her.

She wants a show, I'll give her a show.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a cold voice.

I shrugged at her.

"I don't know… What do you think?" I asked her back.

Victoria glared at me.

"You think you got this all figured out, haven't you?" she said.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You said you wanted a show, didn't you?" I asked.

Victoria looked at me like I had two heads.

"W-what? What are you talking about?" she demanded.

I huffed and rolled my eyes. I knew she was too distracted to notice.

"Earlier, you said you wanted to see a show… And just a few minutes ago, you told Edward that you're lucky you get to watch the show… Now, I'm giving you a show and you didn't even watch" I said disappointed.

Edward looked as confused as Victoria. Apparently, they were way too distracted to notice what was going on around them.

I huffed.

Typical vampires.

Always distracted.

I felt the pain tug on my chest again.

I shook my head as I concentrated on what was happening.

"Look around you Victoria… Where's your army?"

I watched Victoria look around the clearing. She gasped as she realized that none of the newborns were nowhere to be seen except for the two ones that were left which were currently being taken care of.

I smirked at her and put my hands on my hips.

"So? Did you enjoy the show?" I asked again.

Victoria gave me a look that said if-looks-could-kill. Her eyes widened as I heard two hammering heartbeats approach me from behind. They stopped on each side of me but Jacob took one more step forward.

I lowered my hand to stop him.

"No, Jake… I have things to settle" I said to him softly as I continued to look at Victoria.

Jacob took a step back as I put both of my hands on my side. I heard Carlisle and Emmett go on either side of the wolves. At the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle tilt his head and then Edward shook his head slightly.

I completely forgot that I had my shield up all this time. I quickly let go of the shield that was surrounding everybody. I watched Edward's face contort into pain. I guess he was getting used to the silence.

"Things to settle?!"

Victoria's screech brought me back to reality. She laughed out hysterically as she let go of Edward's arms. She quickly grabbed a handful of his hair and smashed his head to the ground. The wolves winced at the sound of Edward's head smashing to the ground. Victoria put her foot down on Edward's head and tried burying it deeper.

Edward used both of his arms to push himself off the ground which caught Victoria off guard. He stood up quickly as Victoria stumbled backwards. His lips curled back as she crouched down.

Whatever it was he was thinking, it wasn't going to happen.

I was in front of Edward in a flash. I put a hand on his chest to stop him. I felt a jolt of electricity as soon as I touched him. I ignored the shock and turned around to face Victoria.

"I have things to settle"

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Was it worth the wait?**

**Was Bella's plan okay? I had a hard time thinking of what plan she had in mind but I finally figured it out. Hopefully, it works out for you guys.**

**Let me know what you guys think!**


	19. The end

**A/N: Please do not kill me. I have a good reason for not updating for 4 weeks. I have the last chapter for this fanfic and I will post the Epilogue by Friday. This chapter is 17 pages in MS Word so I hope it's enough for you. To be honest, I didn't know how I was going to end it. I knew what the end was but I couldn't get there soon enough, hence the lateness. I've rewritten this chapter 5 times just because I couldn't think of the right way to do it. I had finally come up with the perfect way to end it and I hope it would be good enough.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Chapter 19: The end**

**EPOV**

"Carlisle, please go to Alice. She needs you" Bella said softly as she continued to face Victoria.

Bella was crouched halfway down in front of me. Her stance was defensive and ready to attack at a moment's notice. My fists curled as I watched Victoria go down on her own crouch. She had a smirk on her face. She was actually enjoying this. I could see myself behind Bella in her thoughts. Bella's gaze was glazed once again.

I felt Carlisle hesitate behind me.

_Son, should I go?_

"Please" Bella said as she heard Carlisle's hesitation.

I turned my head towards him and nodded. Carlisle gave a curt nod then ran towards the direction Jasper brought Alice. My attention went back to Victoria.

'_I do hope you enjoy watching his, Edward_.' Victoria said in her head.

What the hell was she playing at? Couldn't she see that Bella was going against her? What else did she have up her sleeve? This couldn't still be part of the plan. Could it? I searched her mind for anything else she had planned but I couldn't see anything else. Her thoughts were a haze and it was hard to pick out anything out of the ordinary.

I took a step forward. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Bella must have noticed my movement as she put a hand in front of me.

_'Like I said, Edward. Enjoy the show_' Victoria smiled wickedly in my direction.

I snarled at Victoria but Bella still had her hand in front of me. I wanted to lunge at Victoria and snap her head off.

"No, Edward. Leave it to me" Bella said firmly.

"She's up to something Bella" I tried to reason out.

Upon hearing my statement, the wolves took a step forward. I watched Bella's eyes roll back and close as her lips curled in Victoria's mind. She gave out a feral snarl that made all of us take a step back.

"You better listen to her or she might turn around and kill all of you" Victoria sneered.

Bella growled back at her and Victoria just rolled her eyes.

Victoria was definitely up to something. I suddenly had an odd feeling that even if she would be finished today, it still wouldn't be over. Whatever it was, I was going to make sure that it would end today.

My thoughts were suddenly brought back to the present as Victoria stood up from her crouch. The smirk was still present in her face.

"Really, Bella? You think you got this? You think you got everything figured out?" Victoria taunted as she started to walk back and forth in front of us.

"It doesn't matter anymore" Bella said as her fists clenched.

Victoria stopped walking and looked at Bella again. She raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Doesn't matter anymore? What made you say that?" Victoria asked curiously.

Bella's statement made me curious as well. How could she change her mind so quick? About a couple of hours ago, she was willing to snap my head off and now she was on our side. She destroyed most of the newborns herself. Maybe running away for a little while helped.

I took the chance to take a peek at the wolves. The russet colored one had a smug look on its face. His thoughts were pretty smug as well. The other one I recognized. He was the one Carlisle talked to years ago. He was more mature and serious. He was analyzing each of Victoria's moves. They had no motive of attacking Bella at all. It was amazing how Bella got them to fight with us. I looked back at Bella's figure. I wonder how she did it. She really was unpredictable.

"Because you lied to me" Bella replied through gritted teeth. Her knuckles turning white as her clench tightened.

Victoria raised an eyebrow as she studied Bella's stance.

"Oh? How did you know?" Victoria asked.

It took a few moments before Bella answered.

"Because I remember…" her voice drifted.

"Do you? Then you should remember the pain you felt when he left you!"

The russet wolf growled lightly. I flinched at the images that the wolf was projecting. A flash of Bella curled up in the forest floor then Bella looking lifeless as she stared into oblivion and then… Bella smiling. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. There was a hint of pain but she was trying to cover it up with happiness.

What have I done?

"No… But you knew all this time why I was feeling the way I did and you never told me!" Bella growled at her.

I took a step back. She was feeling it all this time? Was that why Jasper had to runaway when we first saw her?

Victoria's thoughts went into over drive as she played images of Bella convulsing on the forest floor. Bella unable to move. Bella breathing heavily. Bella in pain. I winced again as the images played over and over again. Each image was the same but the location was different.

"But I did tell you why… Don't you remember? I didn't just give out names but it was a theory" Victoria snorted.

Bella just gave her a hard look as Victoria started to pace again.

"So tell me what you actually remember… I could clear some things up for you…" Victoria's voice drifted.

I didn't hear the rest of the things she said as she started to replay the day she found Bella.

_The trees were a blur as Victoria ran. She was running as fast as she could try to get rid of the wolves who were tracking her down. There was a flash of red that came from the road. And then suddenly Bella's scent assaulted her nostrils. She stopped briefly and then ran towards the opposite direction. She was running all over the place confusing the wolves. _

_After a few minutes of running around, her lips curled as Bella's scent was blown her way again. _

_'You're mine' she thought to herself._

_She followed the direction of the scent but was confused when she didn't see her anywhere. Her eyes searched the trees then the beach. She couldn't find her anywhere but her scent was so strong. She looked towards the beach and watched the big waves reach the shore. There was a storm coming and the waves were getting bigger and bigger. The sound of the waves hitting the rocks caught her attention and then she looked up towards the cliffs._

_It started to rain then. Bella was stood by the edge of the cliff with her eyes looking to the horizon. Her eyes were glazed but she had a smile on her face. Her arms were raised straight out as she lifted her face towards the clouds. _

'_What is she doing?' Victoria was puzzled as she looked at Bella's form._

_And then Bella jumped._

_Victoria's thoughts were surprised but then it changed._

'_This is going to be easier than I thought' Victoria thought to herself as she lunged for the water. _

_She was going to get to her before the dogs. She was lucky that no one had caught the real trail yet. _

'_Stupid dogs' she muttered to herself._

_She continued to head towards Bella. She looked for her in the water but couldn't see her through the big waves. And then she caught something bobbing up and down about thirty feet away from her._

_Victoria swam towards Bella. She watched Bella fight the waves for a bit and then give up as she started to go under. Victoria went under the water just as a big wave pulled in. She saw Bella starting to sink deeper into the black water. Victoria followed her sinking figure then the current slammed Bella towards her. Bubbles came out of her mouth as her eyes started to close._

_Victoria got hold of the collar of her shirt and swam parallel to the shore. There was no way she was going to bring her to the shore where she knew the dogs would be. She swam for a few minutes until she resurfaced. _

_She couldn't let Bella die that way._

_No._

_She had to have it her way._

_After making sure that the dogs weren't near at all, she dragged Bella's body towards the shore. She picked up her unconscious form and then ran. She made a fake trail knowing that the wolves would somehow cross her trail. And then she ran north. She didn't stop until she was high up in the mountains where the wolves scent ended for a few hundred miles. _

_She was sat across Bella's unconscious form. Her thoughts kept playing the event that just took hold. It looked like she was trying to kill herself. The peaceful look on her face before she jumped was very different from the one she saw a month ago. And the way she stopped fighting the waves when she hit the water. _

_Victoria shook her head. She smacked Bella's back lightly for a few minutes to try and clear her lungs. Her heartbeat was starting to grow faint._

_She couldn't let her die that way. It was way too easy. She had to die by my hands. She had to feel the pain and the torture. Then she would look for _him_ and she would show him how his beloved died. Even if he would kill her, he would still be alone. _

_Suddenly, Bella started to cough out the water. Victoria continued to hit her back lightly and then stopped. Bella continued to cough out the water that filled her lungs. When Bella stopped coughing, Victoria stood in front of her. She watched Bella's eyes flutter open then close. Her eyes remained closed so Victoria kicked her at her side. Bella's eyes shot open and then widened as she took in Victoria. _

_Bella swallowed visibly as her figure shook. She tried to get up but her knees buckled beneath her. _

_Victoria gave out a hysterical laugh as she watched Bella cower beside the huge boulder._

"_There's no sense in running away human. You are too far for your precious wolves to save you" _

"_W-what do you w-want f-from me?" Bella's voice was raspy as she croaked out the words._

"_I think you know what it is I want human. I've been trying get to you for months now but your stupid pets were always in the way" Victoria paused to look at Bella._

"_Not anymore…" she finished._

_It took a few minutes for Bella to understand what Victoria was trying to say. Then the look on her face changed. She looked determined._

"_Then kill me" she said softly._

_Victoria's head snapped towards her direction. Bella was looking at her straight in the eye._

"_What did you say?" Victoria asked bewildered._

"_Kill me"_

Bella's voice snapped me back to the present.

"You told me I was jumping the cliff to kill myself when I wasn't"

"And how did you know you weren't trying to kill yourself? It looked pretty clear to me that you were trying to do just that… Don't you think so, Edward?" Victoria's gaze landed on mine.

Bella turned around to look at me. She had a slightly confused expression on her face.

_What is she talking about, Edward?_ Emmett voiced out Bella's question.

"See, I showed Edward the day I found you standing by the edge of the cliff" Victoria answered everybody's question.

The same scene played out in the wolves' thoughts but in their perspective. They saw Bella jump off the cliff. They tried looking for her but they couldn't find her anywhere. They got all the wolves to search for anything that would lead to Bella but they couldn't find anything. They found the trail that Victoria made but they ended up empty handed.

Bella shook her head as if she was trying to get rid of the thoughts. She clenched her fists again and then looked at Victoria straight in the eyes. Victoria had a haughty expression as she continued to watch Bella.

"It doesn't matter now" Bella muttered.

"But it should… Maybe you were right about not wanting to kill yourself when you jumped… but you gave up too easily when the waves devoured you…" Victoria started to taunt as she circled Bella.

"You didn't even fight the waves off when you started to sink… And then…" she paused dramatically.

"I took pity on you… I couldn't let you die that way… No… You didn't deserve that kind of death… It was too… Easy" she breathed out the last word.

"When you woke up, you asked what I wanted from you… But you knew what I wanted… Of course you knew… You were a smart human girl…"

"What are you getting at Victoria?" Bella asked through gritted teeth.

I could see Bella's expression getting irritated with every step that Victoria took. She was breathing heavily and her fists were still clenched.

"So impatient…" Victoria shook her head then Bella growled.

Victoria sighed deeply then continued her walk.

"And then, you asked me… to… kill you" Victoria finished dramatically.

"LIE!" Bella roared.

Victoria shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no… It was the one thing I wanted you to remember… Pity you didn't"

"Why do you insist on bringing it back? I made my choice… You're outnumbered Victoria… Why don't you just give up?" Bella challenged.

Victoria cackled hysterically. She was meters away from us now.

"That's the one thing I would never do" she said as soon as her laughter died down.

"Tell me one thing Bella… What made you say it didn't matter if he left you? What made you think he would take you back? You are a monster after all… But you didn't become a monster because of me… You became a monster because of him… All those years ago when he left you… Helpless… Alone… Unwanted… If he hadn't left, you would still be human… or if you were changed you would be less than the monster you are now… It was all because of him Bella… You are a monster because of _him_!"

I was about to attack Victoria when Bella pushed me. I stumbled a few feet back.

"This is the end for you Victoria… I will no longer be a monster" Bella growled and then lunged for her.

_It's not yet over, Edward. This is just the beginning…_

Victoria's voice faded in my head as she moved to dodge Bella's attack. Both of them were moving fast but Bella was quicker. Her movements were faster for my vampire eyes to see. Victoria's moves were lithe as she avoided each hit that went her way. They chased each other around the clearing leaving us dumbfounded as we watched. Nobody wanted to interrupt the fight. We were all too curious how it was going to end.

And then suddenly, Victoria stopped. The image of James played in her head. It was like he was waiting for her. He was leaning casually by the tree and he was smiling at her wickedly.

"James" Victoria whispered.

Bella growled then all too quickly it was over.

**BPOV**

It was all over in a second. Victoria knew very well that she was no match for me. All the hunting. All the taunting. All the control. All the lies. Gone. For eternity. In a swift second.

I watched Victoria's body fall down to the ground. Her decapitated head rolled down a few feet away from me. I hadn't realized that I had let go of it. I flinched as it stopped rolling with her face facing me.

Somebody threw a lit match towards the squirming body. The fire burned and I watched her hair caught fire.

She mocked me until she knew I would snap. The chase was very similar to what we had done years ago. But this one was for real. She caught me off guard when she suddenly stopped. But she didn't flinch when I growled at her. She didn't move when I dove for her. She just stood there as I ended her existence.

_James_.

It was the last thing she said before my hands snapped her neck off. I had never heard her use that tone before. The way she said his name was full of longing. Something she never used when she would could call for Riley. I stared at the burning expression on her face. She looked peaceful compared to what I was used to seeing. It was like she welcomed the end with open arms.

I stood frozen to the spot as another realization hit me. She knew. Somehow, she knew that her existence would end today. I didn't know if it was part of her plan but it was what she wanted all along. All this time, all the mocking she had done was just for me to snap and destroy her. That was the bigger plan.

She brought up all the things she knew I would react to. I felt the pain in my chest linger as I recalled all the things she said. The last words that she said made me angry. I was angry because I was afraid for them to be true.

A soft velvety voice called out to me snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see Edward looking at me. He had a worried look on his face.

"Bella" he said softly as he stretched out his hand for me to take.

I looked at his hand then back at him and back to his hand.

How could he not see what kind of monster I am? I just killed the leader of my coven and an army of newborns in front of him in less than an hour. I killed humans. I killed my own kind without any second thought. How could he not see that?

Edward lowered his hand. A flash of pain etched his face but he quickly replaced it with a small smile.

"That was awesome Bella!" Emmett exclaimed as he bounded over and pulled me in to a hug.

My body stiffened as his huge arms enveloped my body. Edward must've noticed my discomfort. He hissed quietly for Emmett to let me go. Emmett looked at him questioningly then looked at me. My expression must've been something he wasn't expecting since he backed up slowly then gave me a sheepish grin.

"Sorry… I got carried away" he said apologetically.

"But seriously, you were awesome" he said as he continued to grin at me.

My gaze wandered back to Edward. He was watching me with wary eyes while his hands were in his pockets. His bronze hair was more disheveled than usual. It had dirt all over it. I suddenly had the urge to run my hands through his locks and get rid of the filth.

"Well, well… Who knew that Bella Swan could actually kick ass?" a husky voice brought me back to reality.

I turned around to see Jacob and Sam in their human form. I gave them a small smile as I put all my attention towards them.

"Thank you for what you did earlier. I know it's not your nature to help vampires but you helped us out anyway… I'm sorry for growling at you earlier"

"Please do not apologize Bella. It was your instinct. Please take our help today as our apology for not searching further away from our lands. If we searched further, we could've prevented this from happening" Sam said sincerely.

"There's nothing to forgive. What's done is done. We should leave the past where it belongs"

"I totally agree. But let's cut the serious crap! There's too much drama today! We should celebrate!" Jacob grinned.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm with you dude" Emmett said.

Jacob looked at him then shrugged.

"Fine by me…" Jacob said "Just for today"

Emmett nodded along with him.

"Just for today"

*****

Everybody had gathered back at the Cullen's house. Sam and Jacob stayed for a little bit to talk with Carlisle. Before they left, Jacob walked over to me and gave me another hug.

"It's so weird seeing you like this… But I'm glad we got to make up for the mistake back then. I'm really sorry Bella" Jacob said sincerely.

"I'm sorry too you know" I said quietly.

"What should you be sorry about? You didn't become like this because you wanted it"

I sighed as I looked at him.

"I know… But I'm sorry I couldn't remember you properly… Maybe if I did hold on to my memories then –"

Jake put a finger on my lips. It felt so warm against my cold lips.

"Don't be sorry about that. It's just the way things are. You can't help it. Anyways, like you said the past should stay where it belongs" he grinned at me.

"Thank you" I smiled at him.

"No Bella… Thank you. I better get going… Sam's waiting for me"

I nodded.

He gave me another hug before turning around towards Sam.

"I'll see you around Bella!" He shouted then waved.

I watched both of their figures disappear in the trees. I was sat outside by the stairs of the Cullen household. It still didn't feel right for me to be going inside their house. It made me feel uneasy being with them. Maybe it was the fact that I knew I didn't deserve to be in their welcoming presence. I think that if I was a wandering nomad who they never knew before, they wouldn't be as welcoming.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself" a voice said behind me.

I turned around to see Jasper standing there. Of course he would be the only one who would have any idea what I was feeling. I pulled the different emotions and replaced them with nothing. He winced at the sudden change.

"You should really stop doing that. It isn't normal" he said annoyed then grinned as he sat down beside me.

"Yeah… Well, you should really know me by now" I grinned back at him.

He chuckled at that then turned his gaze towards the trees.

"So, how are you really feeling? Your emotions were a mess before you pulled them away" he asked.

I shrugged.

He was right. My emotions were a mess. I was confused because I didn't know what to feel right now. I was relieved because everything was over. I was glad Victoria was finally gone. I was sad because I would be wandering now on my own. I was nervous because I didn't know what the Cullens thought of me now especially Edward. I was ashamed of the things that I did. I felt out of place in their household. I didn't belong with them.

I had to stop thinking about these things. This really wasn't the place for me to ponder on especially if there was an empath who was very much aware of the raging emotions I felt.

"How is Alice?" I asked trying to change the subject.

Jasper looked at me pointedly. I knew the conversation wasn't over yet but he was willing to let it go for now.

"She's doing fine. We were able to put her arm back quickly… She kept on worrying about what was happening in the clearing because she couldn't see anything. But she's glad that all of you were okay"

I nodded.

There was silence for a few minutes before Jasper spoke up again.

"Thank you" he whispered.

I tilted my head giving him a questioning look.

"If you hadn't killed those newborns, Alice would've been in more pieces. I almost lost it when…" his voice faltered.

"I owed you that much… No need to thank me. If I hadn't run away then who knows… It could've been me doing that to Alice" I winced at my own words.

Jasper shook his head.

"No… You would've stopped. You would've never done that" he said.

"What made you say that? I almost snapped her neck off before…"

"Before what?"

I shook off my head as I remembered the different voices that assaulted me.

"Forget it… It doesn't matter now… How can you say that there was no chance that I would kill Alice or you or any of your family for that matter? It would've been so easy for me" My voice slightly raised.

I felt calming waves soothe me.

"Because you won't allow it" he said simply.

I looked at him confused.

"When we are changed into what we are now, we think of ourselves as monsters because of all the horrible things that we had done. I used to think myself of a monster because of all the things I did before. I was just like you. I was a tool for a vampire. Maria, the leader of my coven, had an army of newborns. It was for a different purpose of course but it's almost the same as yours. You were used for something and you realized that it wasn't right. You see yourself as a monster despite what everybody else tells you.

"What I'm trying to say is, even if there's a monster inside of us, you have to remember that you are in there as well. Your real self is inside of you. You don't have to remember your human life to be able to say that. Look at Alice, she doesn't have any memory of her human life at all but she's still who she is. She doesn't see herself as a monster. She holds on to the humanity that she sees and knows.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You have eternity to figure out who you are. Every single day is just another that would be full of choices" Jasper finished thoughtfully.

I tried to grasp everything that he said. Every single thing he said was true. I was surprised to find out that he had a very similar experience as mine. Maybe he was right. Maybe I did have a chance not to be a monster. Maybe someday I could convince myself that I wasn't the monster I used to be. I could change. I would change for Edward. Maybe someday I would be good enough for him. Enough to be accepted into the family.

But I need time. Jasper was right. I need to find myself so I could overcome the monster that takes over.

"Somebody wants to talk to you…" Jasper stood up and smiled at me.

I gave him a questioning look.

"Oh I think you know who it is. He got jealous when the dog gave you a hug. Actually, Emmett did too when you didn't flinch away from the dog" he smirked.

Realization dawned on me.

"Right… I almost killed Jacob when I ran across him… Only way I could apologize without saying out loud" I explained.

"Hey, your call not mine" Jasper said as he raised his hands. "Anyway, I should go inside and check on Alice again"

I nodded at him. I heard the front door open then close. I took a deep breath as the wind blew. There were so many things going on in my head but I was sure of what I had to do now. That one thing is clear. I had to find myself.

After a few minutes, the door opened then closed again. A small smile played on my lips knowing who it was. His scent was blown towards my way and I knew for certain it was him. I could feel him hesitating behind me. After a couple of minutes, he finally gave up and sat where Jasper had earlier.

"Hey" I greeted him softly.

"You don't mind do you?" he asked hesitantly.

I shook my head softy then turned my gaze towards the skies.

"Jasper said you wanted to talk?" I asked.

"Um… Yeah…" he said nervously as his hand ran through his hair.

"I was… um… I…" he struggled with words for a few seconds then he took a deep breath.

I placed my hand on his to calm him down. I felt the jolt of electricity that ran up my arm the moment my skin touched his. He was surprised at the gesture then looked at me. I wonder if he felt it too? I looked him straight in the eye and urged for him to go on. I didn't move my hand away from him. He took my hand on his. When I didn't flinch or move away, he took it as a sign to move on.

"There are so many things I want to say to you but I realize that none of them would really make sense. So I would stick with the one thing that I know that would make sense the most" He paused and took another deep breath.

"I'm sorry Bella. I'm sorry for leaving you. I should've never left. I thought I was doing the right thing when I left. You were always in danger because of me and I thought it was best if I left. I should've realized that there are other vampires out there. And Victoria! Of course she would be back! I didn't even –"

"Stop it Edward. What's done is done. Whatever we say about how we want to change the past would go nowhere. Stop thinking about the "what if's" because you would just be wasting time… I may not remember most of my human life but I forgive you. I understand why you did it… and I forgive you… even if there is nothing to forgive"

"But Bella –"

I shook my head at him.

"Let it go Edward. It's all in the past. We should all move on now. Victoria's dead. She won't be bothering us anymore"

Edward hesitated for a bit then nodded.

"You're right…" He sighed.

I nodded at him. We sat there in silence going over the events of the day. The sun was setting and the smoke from the clearing was starting to fade away in the twilight sky.

A small smile slowly crept Edward's face.

"What you smiling about?" I asked curious.

"I just remembered something… a conversation" he said smiling at me.

"About?" I urged.

"Twilight… We were talking about how twilight was the easiest and the saddest time…"

"Why the saddest?" I asked.

"Because it's the end of the day… The return of the night… But you told me once before that you liked the night because without the dark we would never see the stars… But then we don't see any stars in Forks…" he answered with the same smile still playing on his lips.

"I agree… It's too cloudy… And it's always raining" I said giving him my own smile.

We sat there staring at each other. The intensity of his stare was too much. After a while, his smile faltered and it looked like he was hesitating once again.

"Bella, I – " He was suddenly cut off by the door opening.

"Bella!" Alice squealed.

"Do you mind Alice?!" Edward said annoyed.

"Sorry, Edward… Whatever you're planning, it's better if Carlisle does it" she said giving him a knowing look before turning to me.

Alice walked towards me before pulling me into a hug.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"Um… No problem… It's the least I could do for you" I said.

"Oh but you've done more than that Bella. Not only did you save my arm but I want to thank you for Jasper as well… I'd never seen him as happy as he was compared to before… Thank you" Alice said pulling me into a tighter hug.

"You're welcome Alice" I said softly.

"You're the very best friend I have!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Alice still had me in a tight hug when Edward cleared his throat.

"Oh shut up Edward. It's the only time I get to hug my best friend" Alice huffed.

"Anyway, Carlisle wants to see Bella and he said you should go inside too" she said pointing to Edward then turned around towards the door.

Edward ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, it'd be best if we go inside" he said standing up offering his hand.

"Okay" I nodded at him and took his hand.

The both of us followed Alice inside the house. I felt slightly nervous for what was about to come. Alice said that Carlisle wanted to talk to me but why? We talked earlier already. What else was there to say?

Jasper must've felt my nervousness because I suddenly felt a boost of confidence. I looked in his direction and he gave me an encouraging smile. Edward squeezed my hand as if to assure me. With Edward's assurance, I took the urge to look up at the rest of the Cullens. They were all smiling at me welcomingly.

"Bella" Carlisle addressed me.

I turned around to face him. The rest of the family has sat down by the sofa and the floor except for Edward. He stood beside me as if it was the two of us being judged.

"I would like to say for everyone that we thank you for what you have done for us, especially for Alice. We don't know how or why you changed your mind but whatever it is, we are very thankful for it. I'm sorry you lost a friend and a leader in this fight. We don't know how Victoria had treated you in the past few years but a loss is still a loss..." Carlisle paused as he had a silent conversation with Edward before continuing.

"We know our kind normally travel alone but we are inviting you to join our family so you don't have to be alone. We won't force you to make any decisions now but you are always welcome to join us. Please take this as our gratitude. We owe you our lives and this is the best we could offer. We want you to be part of our family"

After the small talk, Carlisle and the rest of the family left me to think about what was said. I was outside the house again with Edward by my side. We were just sitting quietly. I knew Edward was letting me think.

They wanted me to join them. They wanted me to be part of their family. But could I really be part of their family? Joining them would mean I had to change my diet. I had to change my way of living. This could be my chance to change.

Could I do it though? Could I change? What if I fail? What if I end up disappointing the whole family? What if I disappoint Edward? What then? They would force me to leave their coven. The Cullen family was known for having very good control around humans that was why they associate with them. I had good control around humans when necessary but once the monster inside me takes over there would be no second thoughts. I could lose myself in a second.

No. I couldn't do it. I had to make sure I could control myself around humans before I could even think of joining the family. I need time. I need to make sure I would be good enough for them. Right now, the monster inside of me was taking over.

Time.

Time was what I needed.

It was almost dawn before neither of us had said anything.

"Bella"

"Edward"

We both said at the same time. We glanced at each other then smiled.

"What were you going to say?" he asked softly.

"No… I want to hear what you wanted to say first" I told him.

"Okay… I wanted to say you don't have to make a decision now. I know it's hard to think about. Change is hard. And I understand that. We don't want to force you into doing something you don't want to do" he explained.

I nodded at him.

"I know… And I've made a decision… I've decided I want to join your family…" I paused to look at him.

His eyes lit up at what I said then it went away just as fast.

"But?" he asked.

"But I need time… I need to control myself first before I could control my thirst" I gave him a knowing look.

He nodded his head solemnly.

"I will come back to join your family but right now isn't the right time" I explained.

"Then I'll come with you" he said looking me in the eye.

I shook my head at him.

"No, Edward. This is something I have to do by myself"

Pain flashed on his face for a second before he looked away.

"I understand" he whispered.

I felt a stabbing pain in my chest as I watched him. I really was a monster. How could I hurt the most wonderful caring creature in front of me.

I put my hand on his face and I turned it around to look at me.

"I will be back, Edward. I promise." I said as I watched him close his eyes then lean his face towards my hand.

"I just need time"

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Sorry I had to end it in another cliffy but it's my way of letting you stay until the epilogue. It's already written down but I wanted to see how people would react to this chapter first before I post it.**

**Please let me know what you think about the ending and about the whole story. I'd love to hear what you think about it. The more reviews I get the sooner I post the epilogue. Edward is itching too you know… *wink wink* He wants to know how it all ends. He doesn't like reading my mind sooo he stays away from it… *lol***

**There will be a sequel to this fanfic. I've started the outline already and I can't wait to start writing it!**


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**BPOV**

I watched the city passing by below me. The humans were huddled on the streets as they walked at a fast pace trying to get away from the blistering wind. The cars wove through the busy streets as the morning rush rushed in.

I closed my eyes as I took in the cool air. It was very refreshing. The temperature didn't make a difference to me. It was the different scents that surrounded the city that overwhelmed me. It felt great to be able to be near the humans without wanting to feed on them. I breathed in the different scents that went on for miles.

I felt the predator inside of me growl angrily. A small smile escaped my lips as I quickly took complete control of it. The growls toned down and I was once again engulfed with the noise coming from the city.

Gone was the desire to devour their sweet blood.

I had control over the monster inside of me. It took me about a year to be able to take full control of it but in the end I was successful. Having good control was one of the good things I had gotten from my training from the previous years.

I had been mingling with the humans for the past few months. I hadn't had one slip up. It was remarkable considering it had only been a year and a half since I changed my diet. The first few months were very tempting. I had a few slip ups but after convincing myself that it was something that I needed to do, I didn't have any more.

Thinking about Edward helped me a lot. At first I considered going back and asking for help. But after a few trial and errors, I was able to come up with a strategy on how to go about things.

I knew I had to control myself first. Hours and hours of meditation made me realize that I couldn't get rid of the horrible things I'd done. What's done was done. There was no taking back. It was a part of me. I couldn't get rid of who I was. But I could change my ways. I didn't have to kill anymore. Nobody would be ordering me around anymore. Who knows? It could be useful if the time presents itself. There were other things out there that could pose as a threat to my family.

My family.

I would do everything I can to protect each member of my family. I wasn't with them for long but they welcomed me with open arms despite all the things I had done. They were the only ones I knew who knew me as a human. But human or vampire Bella doesn't matter to them because I was simply Bella to them.

I was grateful for the help that Jasper offered me. Alice must've seen my struggles because Jasper and her had met with me for the first few months. I had asked them not to tell the others because I didn't want to appear weak to them. I may appear strong on the outside but the inside was a complete mess. Jasper knew that since he felt my emotions. He told me he had the same struggles for a number of years so he knew what I was going through.

The whole family had moved to New York about a year ago and I promised I would follow them. This was the reason why I was standing on the top of the highest building in the city. It was the best place to test myself. I decided it was time to join the family.

I realized that I couldn't bear to be that far away from Edward for so long. I didn't understand what I felt whenever I was around him but it was pulling me towards him. The pain in my chest lessened whenever I was around him. There were times that I would suddenly get a flash of pain when around him but it would disappear as fast as it appeared.

It was time to come back.

I was ready.

**EPOV**

Time.

It was the only thing that was keeping me away from Bella.

I closed my eyes as I let the memories of the day she left run through my mind. She held my face in her hand as she revealed to me what her decision was.

_I just need time_.

That was what she said.

I wanted time to go by faster. I did all the mundane things I could do just to pass the time. It didn't do much. Daylight was manageable. High school made time pass by but it wasn't enough. The night was much worse. There was less to do. Homework was easy after taking high school classes so many times. I had to think of things to make myself busy so that time would go by faster. I would watch Emmett and Jasper banter at each other about the video game they were playing. Sometimes, they would let me play. Sometimes, I would find a book to read only to finish it before the sun rises. Sometimes, I would play on my piano. Esme loved it when I played. It had been a long time since I played all night.

But it wasn't enough.

I used to think that time was nothing to a vampire. How wrong I was. It was true that they say time would come by slower if you were anticipating something. I couldn't help myself. I couldn't wait for the time Bella would be with us again. It wouldn't be the same when she was human. I knew we would have to start all over again. But it was worth it because I know she would be with us for eternity.

I didn't know when she would be back but she promised. I would wait for as long as I had to. I couldn't help being impatient at times. Alice had already blocked her thoughts from me to annoy me. There were days I would try sorting out her head to see if she had any vision of Bella coming back but it was completely blocked off.

Today was no different.

I asked her again if she had any visions.

Alice growled in annoyance.

"Stop bothering me Edward! What made you think that I would tell you when Bella would come back?!" she yelled.

"Because I'm your favorite brother?" I smiled sheepishly.

I heard Emmett and Jasper snickering in the corner. I ignored the both of them.

"Can you at least tell me how she's doing since you wouldn't show me anything?" I tried again.

Alice growled once more and walked away from me.

I sighed as I watched her retreating figure.

"Just be patient Edward" Jasper said slapping me in the back and followed Alice.

I sighed in defeat as I watched the two of them head towards the car. We were heading towards the school to begin yet another day of high school.

"I would stop annoying her if I were you bro" Emmett said as he passed me by.

I hang my head as I walked towards the front door. There was no point in arguing with them anymore. I got to the front seat of my car then started it. Once everybody was sat inside, I headed off. It was another mundane day for a vampire.

I parked the car in my usual spot. As soon as I stopped, I was bombarded with the different thoughts of the students. The thoughts were buzzing about a new student. Figures. A new student at the middle of the semester would be worth the buzz. Of course, everybody would be talking about it. It was the same scenario I had witnessed more than five years ago.

I tuned out the thoughts of the student as I walked the hallways of the school. I didn't want to waste my time wondering about the new student. It just made me anticipate Bella's return some more.

I entered the classroom and sat on my usual seat. English was one of the classes I enjoyed. Talking about classic literature took my mind off things. There was still a few minutes left before class so I decided to read a bit to past the time.

The students started to file in the classroom a few minutes later. The flustered teacher entered the room at the same time as the students. The bell rang and the students settled on to their seats. I stared mindlessly at the book in front of me as I waited for everybody to assemble. The teacher closed the door and started to call out the names.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. I didn't bother looking up because there was always one student who was late.

"Ah… You must be the new student" the teacher said.

Curious, I looked up only to be shocked at the person standing a few feet away from me.

"Yes. I'm Isabella Swan"

The teacher nodded and motioned for her to sit down. The only available seat was the one next to mine.

I was too stunned to even greet her. She sat gracefully beside me.

"Hello Edward" she smiled at me.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask but I knew then that I had time to be able to ask her. I had time after class. I had time after school. I had time.

Time was on my side now.

It was just a matter of time before everything was the way it was supposed to be. We had all the time in the world.

I had an eternity with Bella.

**A/N:**

**Sorry I wasn't able to post yesterday. I thought the place I was going to for this weekend had wifi but they didn't. And when I finally got the internet access, is having technical difficulties. **

**Anyway…**

**I want to thank each and every single one of you who read, reviewed, asked for alerts, put this story and me as an author as favorite and of course for nominating this story in the Immortal Cookie Awards. THANK YOU guys so much. I never knew I could finish the fic but with your guys encouragement I was able to finish it. So thank you!**

**If you haven't read the announcement on the previous chapter, there would be a sequel. After all, there's still so much going on with Bella. I will post an author's note on this story as requested when I have the first chapter up. I will most probably post the first chapter next month since I have a lot of stuff going on right now.**

**Once again, thank you guys so much for your support! I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Thank you!**


	21. AN

**A/N: **

**Hey guys, I want to thank all of you again for reading and supporting this story. I'm so sorry for the long wait. I know you're all looking forward to the sequel but unfortunately, there won't be a sequel. For now. Believe me, I tried to write it but I just couldn't move forward with it. I do, however, have a new story up. Since you guys enjoyed this story, you might be interested in checking it out. **

**It's called **_**Biter, Cold and Broken**_**. The story revolves around, Edward, Bella and Jacob but it's definitely and ExB story. The idea was that Bella kept her promise to Edward. She didn't do anything reckless or stupid. In fact, she **_**didn't**_** do anything at all. She never heard Edward's voice. She never did the motorcycles with Jacob. She never went cliff-diving. But something's very different with Bella. **_**Very different.**_

**Go check it out if you're interested. It's still on its early stages so not much is going on at the moment. But things will definitely heat up!**

**Thanks again guys!**


End file.
